Aqua Knuckles recently sat down with Mario to talk swimming. Mario is a very accomplished Masters swimmer who is constantly creating fun and informative swimming focused media, mainly on Instagram.
Read below to find out what makes Mario tick as a Master’s swimmer and Creator.
Where did you grow up?
West Hills, California.
What was your first memory of swimming? How did you get into swimming?
My first memory would have been my backyard pool when my Dad taught me how to swim as a toddler. He explained the importance of why swimming is a life skill that you can have fun with. My Dad was the reason I got into swimming. He taught me how fun it was to race and to always push myself. I fell in love with it.
What do you love about swimming?
The peace it gives me. It centers me, gives me balance. If I’m having a bad day, all I need to do is jump in the water and everything is ok. It’s my happy place.
What are some of your accomplishments as a swimmer?
- 16x U.S. Masters Swimming All American
- 7x U.S. Masters Swimming National Record Holder
- 3x Matt Biondi Classic Champion
- 2020 Cal Tech Pentathlon Champion
- 2019 U.S. Masters All Star
- 2019 CCCAA State Champion
Please describe your most difficult swim/competition? Why?
That would have to be the entirety of my 2019 swim season when I went back to college at 37 years of age. It started off as a pact I made with myself to put my name on the record board of Pierce College because I was deemed ineligible to swim when I attended back in the 2003-2004 season. I went back to school to redeem myself. I knew it was going to be hard because I had just suffered two ruptured vertebrae in my lower back two years prior. My swimming abilities were just starting to come back. As the season started, I had a very painful flare up and considered scratching the season. I chose to see it through and discover new ways to swim fast. It wasn’t easy, not by a long shot. My coaches were aware of this and were fine with whatever I needed to do to get through the season successfully. I asked my Dad to be an additional coach in this process since he had experience with training injured athletes. About two or three meets into the season, my family and I discovered that both my parents were diagnosed with cancer and given about a year or so to live. Again, I considered scratching the season for obvious reasons but chose to see it through because my parents raised me not to quit. They didn’t want me to quit either. All the back pain I was dealing with throughout the season fueled my drive. I set records that season and won at the California State Championship meet for my parents. I wanted to remind them what a great job they did raising me. It no longer became a pursuit to achieve “my” goals. It became a statement to the world what the name Marshall meant. All I cared about doing was honoring their legacy the entire season, as I continue to do now. I won the State Championship in the 100 Fly and set 5 new school records.
That’s incredible, Mario. Congratulations on that incredible chapter in your swimming career. What style of training do you embrace?
That would have to be Dave Salo’s style. I most resonate with his style, as he teaches a “sprint endurance” mentality. He’s a great sprint coach with much success with distance athletes, too. I’m a firm believer in “train the way you wanna move/perform.” Don’t just swim more laps than the next person. Make those laps mean something. My coaching method is “intention and intensity.” This is very similar to Dave’s.
LCM or SCY?
SCM is my favorite cause it embraces both distances equally imo.
Favorite distance race?
200 in yards, but that’s kind of a long sprint now. I also like the 400 in meters.
What was the most exciting race at this summer’s 2024 USA Swimming Olympic Trials in Indianapolis? Why?
Adam Chaney vs Jonny Kulow 50fr double swim off. The fight those men showed to earn a spot into the finals was inspiring. It’s what the Olympic Trials are all about, stepping up.
What is your social platform’s theme?
To be an example that you can still learn, swim fast, stay fast or even get faster the older you get. Swimming doesn’t end after high school or college. There’s always a record to break.
How do you keep up with swimming and creating content?
Filter your social media feed with all things swimming. The algorithm will take care of the rest and you’ll be able to stay on top of all things swimming. Make time to create content weeks and months ahead of time 2-3x a week. Literally every time you swim or go to the gym, you can create something and save it for later. Learn from others, discard what isn’t useful & add what is uniquely your own.
Any advice for a new swimmer?
Find your why & never forget it!
Any advice for a new creator?
Have fun and be creative. Trial and error are everything. Create what you want to create. There’s a market for everything.
Open finger or closed finger?
Open all the way!
Anything else you would like to say?
If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way. if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
As an older swimmer, what are some of the things you find important to maintain your speed?
That would definitely be recovery. I put the bulk of my training on maximum recovery for maximum performance. That comes in the form of sleep, daily mobility training, ice baths, sauna and what I put in my body. I keep my sugars low and my protein high! Combine this with regular racing in practice and meets. You’ll keep your fascia hydrated which, in turn, aids in performance maintenance. Consistency is key and never be afraid to challenge yourself in the water from time to time. That’s how you level up.
**About Aqua Knuckles:
We’d be so much faster if we had webbed hands and feet!! But we don’t, so we need Aqua Knuckles to simulate that webbing.
Can you imagine how fast we’d be in the water if we had webbed hands and feet?? We’d pull so much water and would surely win all our races! Maybe someday those of us who spend so much time in the water will evolve and develop webbing like ducks and polar bears. Until then, we can train with Aqua Knuckles. Aqua Knuckles are innovative, unique training aids for competitive swimmers (or anyone who wants to be faster in the water). Aqua Knuckles are double silicone bands you slip over the ring and middle fingers of each hand. Aqua Knuckles utilized during training help swimmers develop muscle memory to slightly spread their fingers. Slightly spread fingers create a webbing of water (the “boundary layer”) between the fingers that allows swimmers to catch more water and move through the water very fast, with a more powerful pull. This boundary layer of water becomes almost like large gloves on our hands, sticking to the fingers and making our hands seem much larger.
- Is training with Aqua Knuckles better than training with paddles?
Yes. Because Aqua Knuckles are intentionally minimalist, all your fingers and hands are exposed to the water. In fact, spreading your fingers increases your nerves exposed to the water by 35%. Coaches talk about how the best swimmers in the world have that great “feel for the water”. This concept seems intangible – but Aqua Knuckles helps train swimmers to slightly spread their fingers and therefore will help swimmers improve their own “feel for the water”. Swimmers with a better feel for the water will be able to make those micro adjustments to their pull, helping them swim faster. Also, paddles are tough on swimmers’ shoulders. Aqua Knuckles are lightweight and efficient with space. They are not unwieldy pieces of equipment putting unnecessary strain on other parts of your upper body. Many swimmers have reported training with Aqua Knuckles strengthens the muscles in their forearms! Bonus benefit!!
- I am interested in trying Aqua Knuckles but my coach doesn’t know about them. What should I do?
Please email your coach a link to this information or other Aqua Knuckles info that’s out there on the internet – like our FAQ page: https://aquaknuckles.com/pages/faqs or this video on our home page: https://aquaknuckles.com.
- It is too hard for me to incorporate Aqua Knuckles into my workouts. How can I get over this hurdle?
It can be challenging to incorporate new training aids into your workouts. Innovative and open-minded swimmers know that utilizing Aqua Knuckles has made them faster and was well worth the time it took for them to develop the habit of incorporating Aqua Knuckles into some of their sets. Developing the effective habit of training with Aqua Knuckles will take about a week. Your Aqua Knuckles will arrive in a colorful mesh bag that easily fits into your existing gear bag. You should utilize Aqua Knuckles on one of your main sets. An example of an Aqua Knuckles workout is below:
- Example of incorporating Aqua Knuckles into a workout:
200 w/ Aqua Knuckles
-25 Scull / 25 Power Catch / 50 Distance per stroke
200 Choice Kick
6×150 @ 4:00
-50 with chute (drop the chute at end of 50 go right into the 100IM)
-100IM descend by round 1-4 Hold 5&6
-odd rounds with Aqua Knuckles
4×300 @ 4:00
-Desc 1-4
-Odd Rds with Aqua Knuckles
-Even Rds w/ paddles
-Every 4th 25 no free
8×50 @ 3:00
-AFAP (As Fast AS Possible!!!)
-Odds with Aqua Knuckles
Aqua Knuckles make swimmers faster. Our customer feedback from coaches and swimmers all over the world is very exciting and we are thrilled!
John O’Grady – Founder, Aqua Knuckles
John has been a competitive swimmer for more than 40 years and continues to learn and innovate. His love of the water has seen him through age-group swimming, high school teams, Divisions I and II college teams and Masters swimming. He has competed in open water competitions in the Atlantic Ocean and has practiced in the English Channel. It is hard to find this guy out of the water! John resides in Southern California and coaches the Spartans of La Canada club swim team in La Canada, California: www.spartanswim.com. He is also one of the head coaches at La Canada High School in La Canada, CA. When John is not in the water or on a pool deck, he runs a boutique media services company focused on creative projects of all kinds for both large and small entities. He enjoys cooking, surfing, travel, photography and spending time with his wife and children, all of whom are competitive swimmers.
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