BROADCASTS.com

Laura\u2019s guest on the podcast this week is World Championship gold medalist swimmer, Michael Andrew. Turning pro at 14, Michael broke numerous National Age Group Records in his teens, and over the course of his career, he has broken Junior World Records. Along the way, however, he and his parents have also received a lot of backlash for the choices that they made throughout this stellar career. In today\u2019s episode, Michael talks about all of this and so much more in a conversation that is both enlightening and inspiring.

Michael begins by sharing what he is doing in Turkey these days, and about his exciting involvement with the New York Breakers and the International Swimming League. He then goes on to describe his unique career in swimming, the role his parents continue to play in it, the \u2018haters\u2019 they had to deal with, and his family\u2019s willingness to share all that they have learned with anyone wishing to learn. Michael also shares his nutrition regimen, how he balances new training techniques with establishing routines, his vlogs and love of technology, and an exciting new venture that he and his dad are working on. Woven throughout is Michael\u2019s deep commitment to his faith and the prominent role it plays in his life and career. As you will discover, Michael Andrew is most certainly a superstar in the world of competitive swimming, but he is so very much more than that, and he shares it all with you here today.

Episode Highlights:

\xb7 What Michael is doing in Turkey these days\n\xb7 The New York Breakers and the International Swimming League (ISL)\n\xb7 ISL\u2019s agreement with CBS Sports\n\xb7 Michael\u2019s unique career in swimming\n\xb7 His parents\u2019 involvement and influence in his career\n\xb7 Other people\u2019s attitudes towards his career\n\xb7 Their willingness to share their methods with others\n\xb7 How God has blessed his journey\n\xb7 Dealing with \u2018haters\u2019\n\xb7 What he has done since COVID started\n\xb7 2019 as a season of learning about intentionality\n\xb7 Michael\u2019s nutrition regimen\n\xb7 Balancing trying new training techniques with establishing routines\n\xb7 His mindset preparing for Tokyo\n\xb7 Michael\u2019s faith and how it plays out in his daily life\n\xb7 Laura\u2019s experience with depending on God\n\xb7 Michael\u2019s vlogs and his love of technology\n\xb7 The project he and his dad have been working on

Quotes:

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like we\u2019re in our own little bubble anyway.\u201d

\u201cMy entire swim career, we\u2019ve always been very family oriented.\u201d

\u201cI am a Team Captain, owner, and athlete of New York Breakers.\u201d

\u201cThis league really just gives athletes an opportunity beyond the Olympics.\u201d

\u201cIt takes all of the\u2026exciting events, condenses it into two hours of extreme action \u2013 the fastest athletes in the world going head-to-head, scoring points, and money\u2019s on the line.\u201d

\u201cWhy would we do that if we don\u2019t believe in the way they train, we don\u2019t believe in all the negative things that come from those experiences? Like, why not just do it differently?\u201d

\u201cIt was really interesting to see over the years how people\u2019s perception of us had changed because we were consistent in who we were and what we stood for.\u201d

\u201cWe have more supporters than we ever had haters, really, and it\u2019s just cool to see how\u2026faithful God has been through that, in us kind of sticking to who we are and not backing away from it.\u201d

\u201cIt feels like my career\u2019s just beginning at 21.\u201d

\u201cI\u2019ve been super blessed with a family that has supported me from the beginning.\u201d

\u201cThey\u2019re judging from a very warped picture.\u201d

\u201cWe don\u2019t live to earn man\u2019s approval, really. We\u2019re here doing what we do to the greatest of our ability, but also to glorify God and what he has given us.\u201d

\u201cI never want to be the athlete that kind of feels that I have to restrict myself from a lot of the fun things in order to perform.\u201d

\u201cI think it\u2019s so important for athletes to have clear goals and things that they\u2019re working towards.\u201d

\u201cYour body can use oxygen more efficiently when you are keto-adapted.\u201d

\u201cHow do we rewire the brain and change these habits?\u201d

\u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s just swimming\u2026I know God loves me for who I am.\u201d

\u201cI just need to show up and race and let God handle the details.\u201d

\u201cI don\u2019t live a performance-based identity, but I live a purpose-based identity.\u201d

\u201cThe closest you get to God is usually in the hardest times.\u201d

\u201cWe\u2019re creating a subscription platform where we can just give people everything.\u201d

Links:\nThe Pursuit of Gold homepage: http://thepursuitofgold.com/ \nMental Training: https://www.laurawilkinson.com/learn \nLaura\u2019s Social Media:\nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver \nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

Connect with Michael:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/michaelandrew4

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swimmermichael/

International Swimming League: https://isl.global/