
Swim Smooth Episode 14 - Sam Bradley (Warriner), former world #1 triathlete and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist
May 2, 2019
Sam Bradley, a former world #1 triathlete and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist from New Zealand, shares her journey from late-blooming athlete to coach at Sweat7. She discusses her unique mental 'switch' that helps her balance coaching and family life, a skill that many struggle with in our digitally connected world. Sam reflects on her surprising performance improvement when breathing to her left during swimming, valuable insights from her coaching experiences, and the resilience needed to transition from elite competition to mentoring others.
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Episode notes
Use A Mental Switch
- Teach athletes to use a mental switch: be fully present while coaching and fully present at home.
- Encourage athletes to switch off training stress when they walk away from the pool to protect recovery and family time.
Three-Day Course Structure Works
- The Swim Smooth coach course pairs theoretical days with a practical third day where swimmers receive 2–3:1 coaching.
- That live feedback loop accelerates coach learning and swimmer improvement more than theory alone.
Back Injury Before Family Trip
- Paul injured his back loading a kid's bike three minutes before leaving for a family camping trip and missed the holiday.
- He used the downtime to research YouTube and reflect on content strategy and podcast gaps.

