Breaking composure, confidence, and speed in the water makes you lose the race, not the goggles that fell off your head when you dove in.

Id go to swim practice, put my face in the water, and I didnt have to talk to anybody. Swimming was like my escape, but it was also like this huge prison because I felt like I had to swim up to peoples standards.

Like anyone, I stress and get hard on myself from time to time, but it's minute compared to the pressure I used to put on myself to perform and succeed. To my kids' credit, they've probably helped me the most here: I'm more worried about what they're doing than what I'm doing!

I know that I do deserve good things.

I always tell people, I'm a better swimmer because I'm a mom and a better mom because I'm swimmer.

When people say that kids change your life, it's no small feat what they do. I've stressed about competition my whole life, but the minute I held my son Blaise in my arms for the first time, those stresses diminished.

I don't underestimate the power of mental preparation throughout all of my training. I'm in a much better state of mind about competition.