Career pivots and expansion of services. Sue Nelson's journey to diversify leads to satisfaction and stability.
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Release Date: 06/12/2025
#111 - Doug Cornish on the Swimming Coach Crisis: Why Passion No Longer Pays the Bills
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Coaching Without Security: The Hidden Costs Driving Talent Away from Pools In episode #111 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we do a video refresh with an interview conducted with Doug Cornish. His ground-breaking survey exposes many of the hidden cracks threatening swim coaches today. We begin to unpack and reveal why the sport’s “passion‑first” model is no longer sustainable. Doug comes to the discussion with hard data that shine a light on the underlying causes, and he has concrete steps clubs must take to keep good coaches on the deck. Survey results: 38% of coaches lack a...
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Digital Swimming Passport: Valentin Milkov and Zlix - episode #110
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
“What if a 6‑year‑old could upload a quick clip of a 10‑meter freestyle, and an AI instantly replies, ‘You passed!’—issuing a shiny, blockchain‑ready certificate that parents, coaches, and sponsors can see in real time? Welcome to Zlix, the free‑forever swim‑passport that’s turning splash‑offs into badge‑holders.” In episode #110 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, Valentin Milkov shares the story behind Zlix, an AI‑powered verification tool for beginner swimmers. Hear how it works. He also discusses the platform’s free‑forever model, certification...
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Shitty Best: Redefining Athletic Failure with Unconditional Self‑Acceptance and Neural Science
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Part 2 of Shitty Best, a book recap by Pavel Samov, Ph.D. in episode #109 of Heavy Or Not The Coach’s Guide to Accountability, Responsibility, and Compassion in High‑Stakes Sports In this episode, #109 of Heavy Or Not, part 2, with insights into Dr. Pavel Somov’s “Shitty Best” framework, showing why athletes miss the mark and how coaches can turn those misses into growth. Learn how unconditional self‑acceptance can coexist with high standards and real accountability. The myth of the “unified self” and why akrasia isn’t just weak will How competing neural coalitions...
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Shitty Best Explained: How Known, Unknown, and Unknowable Variables Shape Performance (part 1)
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Meet the work of my friend, with his book, Shitty Best. Come and get acquainted with Dr. Pavel Somov’s game‑changing ideas from Shitty Best — the logic behind unconditional self‑acceptance and radical compassion for athletes and coaches. Discover why embracing an athlete’s “moment‑specific shitty best” can be your competitive edge. In Heavy Or Not, episode #108, you’ll learn: How the “shitty best” concept reframes perfection and mistakes in high‑stakes sports. The three categories of performance variables: knowns, unknowns, and unknowables. Why the “I am...
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World Drowning Prevention Day Highlights New Free Open‑Water Course and Upcoming East Coast Festival
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Open water swimming is exhilarating—but safety must come first. In episode #107 of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide, we talk with Barry Healey of BC, Canada about an event in his town. Get into the new open-water course and check out the ISCA Open Water Festival. The upcoming festival with a 5K swim is hosted at Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Virginia. Progress is being made on the insurance issue. New free open‑water swimming course (read.swimisca.org) and the East Coast Open Water Festival at Smith Mountain Lake Introduction of a university division for collegiate squads and how...
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Open water swimming is poised to grow with new competitive opportunities for college teams
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
In Heavy Or Not, #106, we bring a dream into reality for long-time Southern Illinois University Head Swim & Dive Coach, presently retired, Rick Walker. Open Water Festival Sign up at News Release about College Teams at Coach Walker has been a leading force for USA Open Water Swimming Teams in recent years — and he helps with Pan Am Aquatics and speaks to coaches at WAFSU.org / UCSSC seminars. Let’s get to the core of the dream of what Open Water events mean for athletes and coaches. Get the details on the upcoming East Coast Open Water Festival and how a new college...
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For the frustrated swimmers and creators - Hear from author, Brian Holliday, of the UK who talks of the mind-body connection
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Over think much.... or not. Brian Holliday, once a frustrated swimmer in the UK, now an author and creator, shares how he reinvented swimming by focusing on mind‑body awareness instead of traditional technique. He reveals the journey from personal struggle to his “Intuitive Swimming” method and why the industry resists it. You’ll learn: Why over‑thinking kills learning and how awareness of the body changes swimming. The key mind‑body‑water connection: floating, balance, and whole‑body movement. How Brian reverse‑engineered swim strokes and built a three‑step online...
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How OrcaVision Powers Coaches, Parents and Broadcasters with 20‑40 Data Points Per Second
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
OrcaVision is about to hit the market place and aims to revolutionize swimming with AI‑powered video analytics that capture 20‑40 data points per second for every swimmer. In this episode of Hevy Or Not, #104, we hear the first part of an interview and introducation from Adi Segal Dori, an entrepreneur and Chairwomen of the two-year-old firm. Learn a bit as to how the system works, why it matters, and what’s next for the sport. Real‑time computer‑vision captures detailed metrics (speed, stroke count, turn efficiency) without manual tagging. Simple installation: one (25 m) or two...
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Kate Lundsten’s Hall of Fame Induction: Stories of Impact, Humility, and Lifelong Swimming Family
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Aquajets Legacy Lives On: Kate Lundsten’s Hall of Fame Celebration and Athlete Testimonials Heavy Or Not — Episode #103 ISCA Coaches Hall of Fame Celebration — Kate Lundsten Mark Rauterkus Heavy or not, episode number 103. The ISCA Coaches Hall of Fame celebration shared this video about new inductee, Kate Lundsten from Minnesota. Greatness leaves clues. Subscribe and share with your friends. And this is going to be the first episode that also goes out on Apple with video. Jay Chambers Hi, Kate. I just wanted to congratulate you on your induction...
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Coach Speaks to City Council in Buffalo, NY, - AI Moonshot in PPS Arsenal - and asking a favor with a link
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim Guide
Join the WAFSU Movement: Simple Code Adds Support Button to Any School Website Mike Switalski’s Swim Project Tackles Security, Not Safety, in Buffalo Communities. In episode #102 we hear from Buffalo high‑school teacher and nonprofit founder and swim coach, Mike Switalski, then dive into a new AI‑powered swimming grant and a quick call‑to‑action for coaches. Mike’s testimony on Buffalo’s security challenges vs. traditional safety approaches. Impact numbers from the City Swim Project (500 kids served, $350K budget, national swimmer stats). Introduction of the Moonshot...
info_outlineAn introducation to Sue Nelson, part 1.
Explore the inspiring career-journey of Sue Nelson and her husband, Mick, who transformed their coaching careers by thinking beyond traditional competitive swimming.
Discover how they built a thriving aquatics business by embracing innovation and community needs.
Learn about the pivotal moment that led Sue to shift from competitive swimming to aquatic fitness and therapy.
Explore how they launched Waterway Therapy, a Medicare-certified outpatient agency, and expanded their services.
Understand the strategic partnerships they formed with hospitals and fitness organizations.
USA Swimming hired the for important work to support coaches and clubs in their efforts to build their own facilities
Discover the importance of creating multiple revenue streams for a stable and sustainable business model.
Gain insights into how their approach to coaching can be adapted by others to build a successful career.
In future episodes, we'll hear more from Mick and Sue as they've been key players in keeping statistics on water safety.
Their business is Total Aquatic Programming, LLC at https://totalaquatic.llc/.
