Swimming

Adaptive Sports

Do you avoid sex before a competition? Why?

Pro athletes' surprising take on sex before competition

Well, we've got two professional athletes in my house-- me, an Olympic swimmer, and my husband who played in the NFL for 13 years. He always abstained from sex. He said that it weakened your legs, and he was a punter so maybe he would know. And actually this is a trivial pursuit question, because in 2000, I believe it was, the Canadian Olympic swim team decided that they were going to abstain from sex for six months before the games. They didn't have their best Olympics. So listen, if you're feeling sassy, get down with your bad self. If you think that it hurts, then it hurts. If you think it helps, then it helps. Just enjoy. Have fun. Don't think too much about it. Cheers.

Sex before sporting events is a personal decision, but some athletes choose to abstain. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if sex helps or hinders your performance.

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Regarding whether to avoid sex before a competition, it's a personal choice. In my household, both my husband, who played in the NFL, and I, an Olympic swimmer, have different perspectives. My husband believed that abstaining from sex before a competition weakened his legs, especially as a punter. However, it's worth noting that the Canadian Olympic swim team decided to abstain from sex for six months before the games in 2000, but it didn't result in their best performance.

Ultimately, whether you believe sex has an impact on your performance is subjective. If you feel confident and energized, go ahead and enjoy yourself. If you believe it hinders your performance, then it's best to abstain. The most important thing is to have fun and not overthink it. Cheers!

Never coach yourself: An athlete's cautionary tale

Would I ever coach myself? There are some coaches that are in this forum that I've worked with not necessarily been my actual coaches, but maybe they can pass this along to jaunty Skinner. And John Matos, I wouldn't never coach myself ever. I was like the worst ever. I would always ask the questions, like, why are we doing it? So I have a knot in my hair if you're wondering why I'm playing with my hair. It's not because I'm an employment sir. I'm not my hair anyway. No, I was difficult. I was the most difficult athlete ever. Question, all the sets. Like, why are we doing this? Why is this printer? Am I doing 10 400s? Best average, 30 seconds. Rest? Why do I need to do that? Also, the practice starts. It's warm up. Everyone's swimming mommy. I'm on the pool deck. Judging everyone else's stroke. I was awful. Do not ever coach and athlete, like me. I mean, I ended up doing okay, but I was a pain in the ass. I hope that answers your question.

No, I would never coach myself because I was the most difficult athlete ever. I was a pain in the ass and always asked questions. I eventually did okay but I would not recommend coaching an athlete like me.

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Would I ever coach myself? Honestly, no. I have to admit that I was the worst when it came to being coached. I would constantly question everything, asking why we were doing certain exercises or following specific routines. I was difficult and always challenging the sets and practices. Instead of focusing on my own training, I would find myself on the pool deck, critiquing others' strokes. I was a pain in the ass, to be honest. So, no, I would never coach myself. I hope that answers your question.

What do you think was your best performance ever?

Olympic gold medalist shares surprising pick for best performance.

Hey there mark. So, my best performance ever, I think there's a debate on this Within Myself and within people that know me, right? So I would say the best performance ever was in 96 at the Olympics when I won the 100 butterfly. Now, my time wasn't great, but you know what? Just get your hand on the wall first, I would say that one because I probably wasn't the best butterfly. I know this, I was not the best butterflier in the country, let alone the world. So for me to win that Olympic gold medal was huge. Now, I think a lot of I would say the 50 free and those Olympics in 1996 because it still gives me the distinction of being the only American woman to win the 50 free since the 50 free has become an event. So yeah, but that was the 50 free like that was my bread and butter, that's what I loved. That's what I was known for. So I'm going to go with the 100 butterfly in 96. You can debate.

I would say my best performance ever was winning the 100 butterfly at the 1996 Olympics, even though my time wasn't great. It gives me the distinction of being the only American woman to win the 50 free since it has become an event.

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My best performance ever is a topic of debate within myself and among those who know me. I would say it was winning the 100 butterfly at the 1996 Olympics. Although my time wasn't exceptional, being the first to touch the wall was a significant achievement. I wasn't the best butterfly swimmer in the country, let alone the world, so winning the Olympic gold medal was a huge accomplishment for me.

However, some argue that my performance in the 50 free at those same Olympics was my best. It holds the distinction of making me the only American woman to win the 50 free since it became an official event. The 50 free was my specialty and what I was known for.

In the end, I lean towards the 100 butterfly in 1996 as my best performance, but it's a topic that can be debated.

Who’s the greatest competitor you ever raced?

Unveiling the Unstoppable Rivalry: The Legendary Jenny Thompson

All right, who is my greatest competitor I ever raced. Anybody who was around in the late 90s, early 2000s, knows exactly who I'm going to say it's Miss, Jenny Thompson. She was amazing. We raced each other and the same events, 5300 300 fly. She also added a 200 free on there because she was sassy and just amazing. She's got World Records gold medals all the things, and I knew that when I raced her, I was going to have a really good race. Because she just pulled that out of all of us, she really did. And you know, without Jenny Thompson. I don't think there would have been an Amy Van Dyken, for sure. So it's Jenny Thompson. She was, she was the greatest competitor that I've ever raced and that I think probably one of the greatest competitors in the world. Even if you were to look now, dare, I say, I dare say

My greatest competitor I ever raced was Jenny Thompson. She was amazing and had World Records, gold medals, etc. She pushed me to be my best and without her, I don't think there would have been an Amy Van Dyken.

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The greatest competitor I ever raced was Miss Jenny Thompson. Anyone familiar with the late 90s and early 2000s knows exactly who I'm talking about. We competed against each other in events like the 50, 100, and 200 fly. Jenny even added the 200 free because she was sassy and incredible. She held World Records, won gold medals, and was just phenomenal.

Racing against Jenny always brought out the best in me. I knew that when I stepped up against her, it would be a great race. She had a way of pushing all of us to our limits. Without Jenny Thompson, I don't think I would have become the swimmer I am today. She truly was the greatest competitor I ever raced, and I believe she is one of the greatest competitors in the world, even to this day.

How do you deal with people who seem uncomfortable with difference?

Dealing with discomfort: Embracing differences with humor and kindness

This is a great question. How do I deal with my difference? Well, a lot of times, the things that when I can tell people are uncomfortable are usually like, in a line somewhere or in an elevator. So what I will do is I will try to disarm them, I'll say hi, I'll start talking to them, I'll make a joke. The worst is when you have the children, right? Because the children want to talk to you because I've got these cool purple wheels. Why wouldn't you want to talk to me with those, right? I can do wheelies, what, why wouldn't you want to talk to me? So I always make sure that I say hi to the kids. Maybe tell a joke do something like that. Just let people I'll know that. It's okay, like we're just normal people, we just get around in the world a little bit different.

To deal with my differences I try to disarm people by talking to them, making jokes, and being friendly. I also make sure to talk to children who might be interested in my differences, showing them that we are all normal people just getting around the world a little differently.

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Dealing with people who seem uncomfortable with difference can be challenging, but there are strategies I employ to address the situation. Often, I notice discomfort in situations like waiting in line or riding in an elevator. In these instances, I try to disarm them by initiating conversation, saying hello, or even making a joke. 

One particular challenge arises when children are involved. They are often curious about my unique attributes, such as my cool purple wheels. I embrace their curiosity and make sure to engage with them, perhaps by telling a joke or simply acknowledging their interest. By doing so, I aim to normalize our interaction and show that we are just regular people navigating the world in our own unique way.

Other than medals, what’s your favourite swimming memorabilia or merchandise you’ve got?

Olympic Torch: A Cherished Swimming Memorabilia

Hey Joe, this is an awesome question, right? So we get lots of memorabilia, you know, the swimsuits, the Caps, the goggles dolls, we get all the things, but the one thing that really stands out to me, was I got to run the torch for the 2002 games in Salt Lake City and they got to keep that torch and it just meant a lot, you know, having been 22 games and seeing them light the Olympic and paralympic Flame with that torch. It's just the coolest thing ever. So that out. Does anything else that I could have ever gotten? And I am so proud of it. I have it right in the entryway of my house so it means a lot have a good day.

I was able to run the torch for the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City and got to keep it, which is something that means a lot to me.

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Hey Joe, great question! Among all the swimming memorabilia and merchandise I've collected, one item stands out as my favorite. It's the torch I got to run with for the 2002 games in Salt Lake City. Keeping that torch is incredibly meaningful to me. Being a part of the games and witnessing the lighting of the Olympic and Paralympic Flame with that torch was such a special moment. It's definitely the coolest thing I've ever received, and I'm incredibly proud of it. I have it displayed in the entryway of my house as a constant reminder of that amazing experience. Have a fantastic day!

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Amy Van Dyken, a swimmer who initially took up the sport to help her asthma, achieved great success in the Olympic Games. She won six gold medals in two editions of the Olympics, the 1996 Atlanta Games and 2000 Sydney Games. In Atlanta, she became the first American female athlete to win four gold medals, and in Sydney, she contributed to the gold-medal-winning 4x100m freestyle relay team. She also won three gold medals at the 1998 World Swimming Championships. After retiring from swimming, Van Dyken explored other interests, including acting and working as a TV and radio presenter.