Becca Mann On Swimming Outside The Lanes to Create Life Defining Experiences

Becca Mann is a writer and athlete. A member of the USA Swimming National Team from 2012 until 2021, Becca is a 2x USA National Champion and was the youngest person ever to place in the Top 10 in 4 events at a single Olympic Trials. She has also represented Team USA at 4 World Championships. Becca initially fell in love with the solitude, power and efficiency that swimming offered but was ultimately motivated by the ability to consistently achieve goals. Whether moving to a more advanced lane, breaking a school record, breaking a state record or becoming a world champion, each small goal led to an even bigger one. No matter how big the goal was, her mindset stayed the same. She maintained the same pre-race routine (as it had worked before) and reminded herself that every meet was the most important meet of her life.

After missing her 3rd Olympic team, she decided that if she was going to walk away, she would need to do something that had never been done before. With clear understanding and mastery of her mental strengths and vulnerabilities including OCD, she became the first person to have consecutively swum the triangle between the Hawaiian islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. This life defining experience allowed her to redefine her relationship with swimming and reminded herself that it is supposed to be fun.

Becca Mann shares her struggles, insights and knowledge in her latest book, “Outside the Lanes.”

@becca__mann