How did Annie Lazor go from being a good swimmer in unofficial retirement to becoming an Olympic gold hopeful in the span of 15 months?

In today’s episode, she shares what brought her back to the water and how she worked to get herself back in the physical and mental shape needed to become a Short Course World champion. Hear what she's learned from working with breaststroke champion Lilly King and her insights on the work ethic and mental outlook needed to make her comeback worthwhile.

“I didn't want to be the one that looked back in five years, ten years wondering what if?” - Annie Lazor [07:31]

Key Takeaways:

Annie Lazor’s path to becoming a world champion.
Training adjustments that had an impact on her performance.
How her environment shaped her work ethic.

Episode Timeline:

[00:24] Intro
[00:61] How Annie Lazor went from hiatus to Olympic gold hopeful
[03:07] The emotional weight of having a coaching disruption
[05:40] Never officially retiring
[06:24] Deciding to return to swimming
[07:38] Her mindset after coming back
[08:52] Timeline and process from her return to becoming a world champion
[13:11] Deciding to train with breast stroking star, Lilly King
[15:53] The training regimen that got her there
[22:30] Does Annie Lazor see herself as the best in the world?
[24:39] How the environment she grew up in shaped her mentality
[26:24] Avoiding limits and pressure
[29:14] Her relationship with Lilly King
[33:29] When her Olympic dreams started to take shape
[36:20] Outro

Key Quotes:

“I didn't want to be the one that looked back in five years, ten years wondering what if?" - Annie Lazor [07:31]
"It's given me this train of thought of, 'okay that was great, lets celebrate it for a minute and now what's next?'... How much better can I get? [23:47]

Connect:

Find | Brett Hawke

On Instagram @hawkebr

Find | Annie Lazor

On Instagram: @annielazor

On Twitter: @lazorlaze

Subscribe & Listen:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube

Special Thanks:

Inside with Brett Hawke is presented by Fitter & Faster.
Host a swim camp. More than 1,000 swim clinic sessions in 46 States plus Canada & the Bahamas in 2019.

Inside with Brett Hawke is produced and promoted by Swimnerd.
Connect your phone to your pace clock with the Swimnerd Pace Clock. Digital, affordable, and Bluetooth programmable from your smartphone.

Ep 609: Start Laying Down Iron Roots