Champions Mojo for Masters Swimmers

Molecular biologist, gerontologist and Ultra Marathoner, Dr. Bill Andrews, a pioneer in telomere and telomerase research, sits down with Kelly and makes the case that telomere shortening is the most important clock driving human aging for healthy people and that real “rejuvenation” has to show up in function, not just numbers on a lab report. His blunt standard is the “Betty White test”: can you clearly tell which version of someone is younger by how they look, feel, and behave? 

From there, we get practical for masters swimmers and endurance athletes. Bill breaks down the tug of war between telomere shortening and lengthening, why inflammation and oxidative stress speed up biological aging, and how training falls into a Goldilocks zone. Consistent movement can build immune tolerance, while sporadic extreme efforts can trigger unnecessary inflammation. We also cover stress reduction through yoga and meditation, and why tapering is a secret weapon for performance and recovery. 

We also take on the risky side of the longevity marketplace: misleading telomere tests in blood, “anti-aging” tactics that can increase cell turnover, and the hype cycle around peptides, stem cells, and exosomes. Bill explains how he evaluates evidence with critical meta-analysis, shares what he’s seen from telomerase-activating ingredients, and points to tools like the ALCAT food sensitivity test and biological age testing to guide smarter choices. 
• telomeres as chromosome end caps and why they shorten with each cell division
• telomerase as the enzyme that can rebuild telomeres and the “tug of war” model
• inflammation and oxidative stress as drivers of accelerated aging
• endurance exercise as a Goldilocks effect plus the value of consistency and tapering
• evolution’s case for aging and why Bill wants to outsmart it for individuals
• Telovital as an example of telomerase activation plus limits of anecdotal results
• why average telomere length in blood can rise without true telomere lengthening
• how cosmetic resurfacing immune stimulation and some growth signals can backfire
• peptides stem cells and exosomes through the lens of critical meta-analysis
• practical steps like yoga meditation optimism anti-inflammatory diet and the ALCAT test.
For more information on Dr. Bill Andrews https://sierrasci.com/
If you care about lifespan, healthspan, and staying fast in the water as you get longer lived, subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review so more athletes can find the show.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Coach Kelly Palace shares five rules for swimmers to achieve their personal best.

We break down five repeatable rules Kelly has seen across hundreds of champions, from Olympic swimmers to NCAA standouts to masters legends. We talk about picking a goal that creates real emotional pull, then reverse engineering it into pace targets, meet choices, and bite sized milestones you can execute. We also get specific about the details that matter in masters swimming: which meets count for rankings and records, what to watch for with rules and registrations, and why “fast water” factors like pool depth, temperature, and air quality can change outcomes.

The big takeaway is simple and demanding: consistency is the foundation, and mindset finishes the job. Expect the best, prepare for the worst, and stay ready to swim well on the messy day, not just the perfect one. If you are planning a new season, chasing a personal record, or making a comeback, this will give you a clear checklist you can use today. 
• choosing a goal that feels emotionally exciting
• breaking the goal into pace, steps, and meets
• executing in the right meet with the right rules
• looking for fast water and favourable conditions
• building consistency as the performance foundation
• expecting adversity and staying ready to race anyway
Subscribe to Champions Mojo, share this with a training partner, and leave us a review if it helps, what goal are you going after next?
Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Ever wonder what separates an average swim lane or team from a championship-level squad? Culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s the way your team operates on an ordinary Wednesday morning when you're staring at the black line and nobody is trying to be inspirational. In this episode, we sit down with Greg Clink, 3-time Coach of the Year in basketball, who's a leadership expert, to put a real definition around “championship culture” and make it completely usable for Masters swimmers, coaches, and anyone striving for high performance for a team in our out of the water.
We break down what culture looks like in daily behaviors: how you communicate on the pool deck, how you treat your lane mates, and how to "confront the snowball" of small team conflicts before they turn into a full-blown avalanche. From masterfully using end-of-practice “put-ups” to motivate your teammates, to creating buy-in for specific roles, Greg shares simple, actionable tools you can take straight to your next workout or meeting.
In this episode, we cover:
Defining Team Culture: Why daily operations and standards matter more than big speeches.
The Power of "Put-Ups": How to end practice by spotlighting winning behaviors you want repeated.
Confronting the Snowball: A leadership mindset for spotting and solving small issues early.
The Power of One: How much influence one person can have to shift a team's culture positively or negatively.
Creating Ultimate Buy-In: Building pride, accountability, and trust across the entire roster.
If you want a healthier, higher-performing team culture in Masters swimming, at work, or at home, dive into this conversation and take one idea into your next practice. For more from Greg visit www.GregClink.com
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Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

A 20-year break doesn’t have to be the end of your swimming story. Kelly catches Christina Campfort right on deck for a high-energy chat that hits on something a lot of former swimmers quietly wonder: can you really come back and race fast again after life happens? Christina’s answer is loud and clear. She’s 44, a firefighter and driver engineer, a mom with a newborn, a former college swimmer at the University of Miami, and she recently returned to masters swimming and won four national titles at the YMCA National Championships.

We talk about the messy, honest side of being a swimmer: loving the thrill of racing while dreading practice, quitting in high school, returning for a breakthrough season, and later realizing that talent can only take you so far without consistent work. Christina shares how boxing reshaped her work ethic, and how that mindset now fuels her approach in the pool. If you’re looking for masters swimming motivation, sprint training ideas, or a realistic way to train around a demanding job, her low yardage, high intensity focus on speed, tempo, and timing will land.

Christina also opens up about life in the fire service, including years in the inner city, the transition to an airport station, and the safety discipline required on taxiways and runways. We connect the dots between athletic training and high-stakes work: staying calm, staying sharp, and showing up prepared. Then we look ahead to her next target, the Police and Fire Games and the World Police and Fire Games in Australia, where she already has her sights set on the competition.
• getting back into masters swimming after a long break and finding the right practice group
• swimming at the University of Miami, shoulder surgery, and stepping away from competition
• loving racing, hating practice, and what she would change about her younger work ethic
• building a masters training plan around shifts with low yardage, high intensity sprint work
• life as a firefighter and driver engineer, including the move to an airport station
• staying safe on taxiways and runways by assuming mistakes can happen
• using swim discipline to handle fire academy and medic school demands
• setting goals for the US Police and Fire Games and the World Police and Fire Games

Subscribe for more stories that help you live well and swim well, share this with a friend who “used to swim,” and leave a review if the conversation sparks something in you. What goal would get you back on the starting blocks? Let us know....
Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

Fewer than 50 people on the planet have completed the Oceans Seven Challenge. Putting that in perspective over 7,000 people have summited Mt. Everest , Steve “Moby” Leitch is one swim away from being in such an elite club. You can train for months and still get humbled in minutes when the ocean decides to change the rules. After swimming the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa, elite endurance athlete, Steve “Moby” Leitch, joins us to break down what makes ultra marathon open water swimming so unforgiving: funnelled currents where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, tight wind restrictions, and real-world hazards like commercial freighters.
Steve is a member of the Greenville Splash Masters in South Carolina and is coached by Carolyn Moore and Leslie Scott.

We also go deeper than one crossing. Steve shares how he returned to swimming after decades away, how 15+ years of sobriety reshaped his definition of strength, and why these Ocean Seven Challenge swims are “sweat equity” that helps fund long-term sobriety living facilities. Along the way we talk about the behind-the-scenes reality that most highlights never show: nausea, cramps, cold water, sleep struggles, and the mental handbrake that tries to pull you out before your body is actually done.

What makes this conversation special is the inspiration and the team element. Steve explains how his wife Kelly supports him on the boat with preparation, feeding, and calm communication under pressure, and why that partnership has strengthened their marriage. If you’re a masters swimmer, triathlete, or anyone searching for practical endurance training advice, you’ll take away a clear framework: train for the worst day, keep your self-talk simple, and anchor every hard stroke to a purpose bigger than the finish.
You'll hear:
• why the Strait of Gibraltar is uniquely hard with currents, wind rules, and shipping traffic
• how Steve returns to swimming after decades away and builds a life around faith, family, and sobriety
• why (Steve's wife) Kelly’s role on the boat matters and how their swim communication strengthens their marriage
• what “endurance” means beyond fitness and how training for worst-case conditions builds it
• how sprint work, strength training, mobility, and sleep support long channel swims
• mental self-talk in the pain cave and the simple reset of one stroke at a time
• English Channel and Cook Strait moments with cramps, sickness, cold, and being pushed off course
• using an honest past to help others through addiction recovery and long-term sobriety housing
• what a champion mindset means when you stop trying to fit in
• the final Ocean Seven target with Catalina and why the next swim is always the hardest

If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a comeback story, and leave us a review so more swimmers can find the show.
Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.
You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com