Stephanie Balduccini finished her second college swimming season as a Big Ten Champion and NCAA All-American. The Michigan sophomore has found her groove in Ann Arbor, but it wasn’t a linear path. Coming into Michigan, Balduccini was actually quite unhappy with her swimming and was considering retirement if she didn’t enjoy Michigan.
However, the coaching staff and family dynamic of the team helped her to rediscover her love of the sport. Specifically, she learned to focus on small wins in her day-to-day training and racing, not solely focus on times or results. The 2x Brazilian Olympian discusses the NCAA season, her Olympic experience, and what it means to be “Elite”.
- 0:00 Stephanie Balduccini Introduction
- 1:36 Michigan Team Culture
- 5:56 Being “Elite”
- 10:30 Importance of Small Wins
- 12:26 B1G 200 Free Dominance
- 15:15 200 Free Race Strategy
- 23:33 200 IM vs 50 Free
- 28:51 Brazilian Nationals
- 31:00 Dealing with Appendicitis before Olympic Trials
- 34:45 LCM vs SCY
- 37:14 Having a Twin Brother in Swimming
- 44:18 Going to the Olympics at Age 16
- 51:36 7 Gold Medals at South American Games
In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.
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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com
Coleman, will you guide my sleigh tonight?
She has really peaked along with her relay partners. Bowe making BIG a better/deeper conference with IU, UM, OSU, USC, Wisc. Exciting times ahead. Congrats to Steph and team.
Great conversation! She sounds like she’s in such a good place mentally right now. My favorite story was when she asked coach Bowe for strategy advice before the big 10 2 free and he told her to “believe.” And she won! Also, after listening, I saw an article pop up saying she won the 2 free in a PB in Brazil. Will be fun to watch her in Singapore! Go Blue!