Why Olympic Swimming Didn’t Prepare Me for BUD/S

About this video

A former Olympic swimmer discusses his experience going through Navy SEAL training (BUD/S) with Mike Ritland. The guest explains that while the swimming portion wasn’t challenging due to his background, BUD/S was still extremely difficult because of the physical demands of carrying heavy loads. He reflects on how having demanding coaches in competitive swimming prepared him mentally for the instructor cadre at BUD/S, and discusses the unique mental toughness required by swimming as a sport.

Key takeaways

• The guest states that despite being an Olympic-level swimmer, BUD/S was still extremely difficult for him due to the physical demands of carrying boats, logs, and other equipment after training in a near-zero-G pool environment
• The guest argues that swimming prepared him for BUD/S primarily through mental toughness gained from working with demanding coaches, rather than just aquatic competency
• The guest describes swimming as uniquely grueling among endurance sports because athletes are alone with their thoughts and pain while staring at the black line for hours

Episode details: published June 26, 2025 · 17.1K views · 13:05 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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