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Not all champions are built in perfect conditions — and Chantal Naassana is a powerful case in point.

A three-time Masters World Champion and national champion for both Egypt and the United States, Chantal shares how she returned to elite racing after moving from Cairo to the US, navigating Minnesota winters, a full-time career and a training life largely built on her own terms. Guided by online coaches and anchored by consistency, she’s crafted a high-performance approach that proves squads and daily deck side feedback aren’t the only path to world-class results.

In this episode of Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast Chantal breaks down the nuts and bolts of training solo: how to use the pace clock as your training partner, set precise intensity targets and keep sessions efficient without sacrificing quality. We talk strength and speed — phasing from force to power before major meets and using tools like sponge drag, parachutes, fins, and broken swims to convert strength into race-day speed.

The conversation also goes deeper. Chantal opens up about racing her first Masters World Championships in Japan just one week after losing her father — and how swimming became both an anchor and an outlet in that moment. We explore mindset, visualisation (especially for the 200) and why recovery, sleep, and nutrition aren’t extras — they are the training.

With eyes on more long-course racing and Budapest 2027, and a growing passion for coaching Masters swimmers, Chantal’s message is clear: you don’t need perfect circumstances — you need intention, patience, and belief.

This is an episode for swimmers building something meaningful alongside real life — and doing it well.

🎧 Press play, steal the ideas, and swim your own way forward.

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What does it take to win an open water race when the water itself feels like a warm bath? On this week's Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast we sit down with Australian Masters standout Sharon Crisafi to unpack the 3km World Masters title she earned in Singapore - where heat, humidity and chop turned the race into a physiological and tactical puzzle. Sharon breaks down how she and her coach built a plan around the environment: hunting down warm indoor pools during winter, adding a wetsuit to simulate heat stress, and drilling race pace sets until the target speed felt familiar under fatigue.

We walk through the race from the pontoon to the final touch: drafting early to curb pacing nerves, taking the lead on lap two when the tempo dipped, and holding form through lap three. Sharon shares why she skipped mid-race fluids, how she fought to rehydrate after, and what she’d change next time. We zoom out to her full training picture—core pool sessions a week, open water practice, and strength work built around the swim chain with endurance-focused reps.

You’ll hear practical open water tactics you can copy right away: sighting advice, reading currents and ferry wake and understanding why ocean pace rarely equals pool pace. Sharon also opens up about managing nerves and aiming for Budapest with a realistic plan for freshwater and a deeper field.

If you care about open water strategy, heat acclimation, and training that respects real life while still chasing fast, this conversation is a blueprint.

Enjoyed the show? Follow or subscribe, leave a quick review, and share this episode with a swimmer who loves the ocean. Your support helps more athletes find Torpedo Swimtalk.

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Torpedo Swimtalk is sponsored by AMANZI SWIMWEAR

#swim #swimmer #swimming #mastersswimmer #mastersswimmers #mastersswimming #openwaterswimmer #openwaterswimmers #openwaterswimming #swimminglover #swimmingpodcast #mastersswimmingpodcast #torpedoswimtalkpodcast #torpedoswimtalk #tstquicksplashpodcast #podcast #podcaster #podcastersofinstagram #swimmersofinstagram #swimlife #swimfit #ageisjustanumber #health #notdoneyet

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What if your fastest swim is still ahead of you? Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast sits down with New Zealand sprinter Laura Quilter, who left the sport for eight years and returned in her 30s to lay down lifetime bests—including a 25.08 in the 50 free at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Her story blends curiosity, self-coaching, and a focus less is more, challenging the old belief that more metres always equals more speed.

Laura breaks down how she rebuilt her sprint power with targeted strength work and smart periodisation: heavy lifts early in the cycle, then a shift to high-intent plyometrics as race day neared. In the pool, she replaced kilometres with broken 50s using parachutes, fins and paddles, stepping down resistance to convert strength into speed. We dig into the technical details that moved the needle—lateral body line to engage the lats, cleaner kick timing, and start cues like “thumbs to armpits” plus a back-foot loaded stance for a sharper dive. She even rethought her breakout to keep speed from stalling at the surface.

The mental game is just as compelling. As a registered nurse working PM shifts, Laura learned to manage imperfect sleep, test readiness session by session, and keep a simple mantra on loop: be cool. She’s candid about a tough 50 fly in Singapore, the confidence of a heat win in the 50 free, and how breathing choices can swing a race. We also explore recovery at 33 versus 23, creatine dosing, and the freedom that comes from training less but with far more intent.

If you’re a masters swimmer, a coach, or a sprinter chasing tenths, this conversation is a playbook for getting faster with fewer metres, better technique and a calmer mind.

Subscribe, share with a swim friend, and leave a review.

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You can connect with Torpedo Swimtalk:
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Torpedo Swimtalk is sponsored by AMANZI SWIMWEAR

#swim #swimmer #swimming #mastersswimmer #mastersswimmers #mastersswimming #openwaterswimmer #openwaterswimmers #openwaterswimming #swimminglover #swimmingpodcast #mastersswimmingpodcast #torpedoswimtalkpodcast #torpedoswimtalk #tstquicksplashpodcast #podcast #podcaster #podcastersofinstagram #swimmersofinstagram #swimlife #swimfit #ageisjustanumber #health #notdoneyet