About this episode
Today on the GMM Podcast, we sat down with Regan Smith, and this conversation only confirmed what I’ve been thinking for a while: Regan needs her own podcast. She doesn’t just swim. She explains. She unpacks. She brings you inside her head in a way few athletes ever do. Regan’s evolution has been painfully hard fought, and she’s grown into a pro that articulates the details that hit and transcend for anyone who understands our sport. Regan is no longer the young upstart. She’s a veteran with world records, medals, and battles etched into her career. She has deep knowledge of the sport, not just in the pool but on the dry side too: the Olympic industry, the nuances of governance, and the relentless pressure that comes with being America’s best backstroker in an era with Aussie star Kaylee McKeown. In this episode, she breaks down the fight for gold against Kaylee, what it feels like to come up just shy, to manage the emotions, and then turn that fire into a weapon for Team USA relays. And if you’ve watched Regan in a medley relay, you know the story: she always delivers. Time and again, she lines up against Kaylee on the leadoff and beats her, setting the tone for the Americans to close it out. That’s what makes this conversation special. Regan isn’t hiding the grind or the heartbreak (or the behind the scenes events that can easily distract most elites). She’s giving us beat-by-beat insight into how she processes it, how she stays sharp, and how she transforms setbacks into fuel for the next swim.