The Effortless Swimming Podcast
#372 : How to Improve Your Freestyle as an Adult – Olympian's Advice with Sharon Van Rouwendaal
Apr 4, 2025
Sharon Van Rouwendaal, an Olympic gold medalist in open water swimming, shares her journey from elite athlete to coach. She emphasizes the importance of patience in teaching adults and how minor adjustments can lead to significant improvements. Topics include the key elements of effective warm-ups, the necessity of dryland exercises, and how proper kicking influences overall stroke efficiency. With practical tips for mastering freestyle technique, Sharon encourages adult swimmers to integrate innovative exercises for better performance.
37:56
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Quick takeaways
- Transitioning from swimmer to coach emphasizes the importance of simplifying techniques to address root causes for long-term improvements.
- Incorporating dryland exercises enhances muscle strength and swim technique while preventing injuries, leading to better performance in the water.
Deep dives
Transitioning from Competitor to Coach
The transition from being a competitive swimmer to a coach involves significant adjustments in approach and mindset. An emphasis on patience and simplifying instruction is crucial for effectively teaching swimmers. A personal experience shared highlights how a coach simplified a complex technique by focusing on body rotation instead of the obvious issue of elbow positioning. This strategy illustrates the importance of addressing root causes rather than symptoms to facilitate long-term improvement in swimmers' techniques.
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