When Chloe Sutton Mackey's career took off at the age of 14, she made a lot of tough decisions that set her on a path to realizing her Olympic dreams. Today, as a 2-time Olympian, Chloe sits down to talk about her experiences competing in both pool and open water events, taking initiative as a young swimmer and gives insights into her mindset and work ethic.
Listen in to hear her explain the drive and passion she developed for swimming as she shares some of her childhood experiences. Find out what it’s like competing for Team USA and how she was able to retire from swimming with no regrets.
“If you do what's always been done, you'll get what everyone else has always got.” -Chloe Sutton [05:08]
Key Takeaways:
- Chloe Sutton’s experiences as a young swimmer.
- Ways parents might help their young swimmers take ownership of their careers.
- Thoughts on accepting loss and disappointment.
- What Chloe has accomplished outside of the pool.
Episode Timeline:
- [00:19] Intro
- [01:11] Chloe Suttton on qualifying in both open water and pool
- [02:10] Training for both events
- [04:02] Her unconventional childhood
- [06:55] How her parents guided her independence
- [09:59] Deciding that college swimming wasn't for her
- [12:35] How she was so driven at a young age
- [15:05] Dealing with failure and disappointment
- [17:20] What it's like competing for Team USA
- [18:56] Her take on Katie Ledecky and distance freestyle
- [22:11] Deciding to retire from swimming
- [24:05] Becoming VP of Fitter and Faster swimming
- [28:40] What's next for Chloe Sutton
- [30:16] Outro
Key Quotes:
- “In order to swim at my best, I had to want to swim fast as much as I wanted to breathe. It needed to be a need for me... It had to be my entire heart and soul.” -Chloe Sutton [22:18]
- “I think everybody deals with disappointment, failure in their own kind of way... ultimately with my personality type- at least in a moment- If I was ever truly satisfied with any race I've ever swam.” -Chloe Sutton [15:18]
Connect:
Find | Brett Hawke
At fitterandfaster.com
On Instagram @hawkebr
Find | Chloe Sutton
At chloesutton.com
On Instagram: @csutswim
On Twitter: @csutswim
Subscribe & Listen:
Apple Podcasts
Special Thanks:
Inside with Brett Hawke is presented by Fitter & Faster. Host a swim camp. More than 1,000 swim clinic sessions in 46 States plus Canada & the Bahamas in 2019.
Inside with Brett Hawke is produced and promoted by Swimnerd. Connect your phone to your pace clock with the Swimnerd Pace Clock. Digital, affordable, and Bluetooth programmable from your smartphone.
