Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast with Kady Ibell - Transitioning from Open Swimming to World Masters Swimming Success

Today on Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast we're joined by Kady Ibell from Queensland, who shares her journey from open swimming to the masters swimming circuit. Amidst balancing a full-time job with her passion for swimming, Kady provides insights into the supportive masters swimming community, where camaraderie trumps competition pressures. Tune in to discover how a single stroke in the pool reignited Kady's love for swimming and whether her sights are set on the ultimate goal for 2024: the Olympic trials.

Kady takes us behind the scenes of her experiences at the 2023 World Masters in Japan, navigating not only the pool but also heat waves, language barriers, and cultural differences.

In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of race technique and training routines. We also explore the Premier League swimming competition, where mystery races add an unpredictable twist to every swimmer's strategy. Kady shares her favourite training sets, from sprint sets to the breaststroke drill 'Lerada', and offers insights into managing competition nerves—an art as much as it is a science.

So grab your swim cap and goggles, and prepare for a motivating conversation with someone who swims with heart.

Follow Kady
Instagram
Facebook

You can connect with Torpedo Swimtalk:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Sign up for our Newsletter

Leave us a review

Torpedo Swimtalk is sponsored by AMANZI SWIMWEAR

#swim #swimmer #swimming #mastersswimmer #mastersswimmers #mastersswimming #openwaterswimmer #openwaterswimmers #openwaterswimming #swimminglover #swimmingpodcast #mastersswimmingpodcast #torpedoswimtalkpodcast #torpedoswimtalk #tstquicksplashpodcast #podcast #podcaster #podcastersofinstagram #swimmersofinstagram #swimlife #swimfit #ageisjustanumber #health #notdoneyet

Transcript

Danielle Spurling: 0:09

Hello Swimmers and welcome to another episode of Torpedo Swim Talk podcast. I'm your host, danielle Sperling, and each week we chat to a master swimmer from around the world about their swimming journey. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Kady Ibell, a 27 year old open master swimmer from Toowoomba in Queensland. Kady has had quite the journey in the swimming world, starting at a young age and now excelling in masters competitions. With such an impressive resume, including being the current Queensland Open Women's Champion in the 50 breaststroke, and her recent success at the 2023 World Masters Championships in Japan, where she won four bronze medals, there was a lot to discuss. Let's hear from Kady now. There you go, boss. Welcome Kady.

Kady Ibell: 1:06

Hello, thank you. I'm very excited it's going to be great, oh fantastic.

Danielle Spurling: 1:11

Have you got a swim in this weekend?

Kady Ibell: 1:13

Yes, so I just competed at the 2024 Queensland Swimming Championships and I had all four 50 meter swims at that competition.

Danielle Spurling: 1:22

Fantastic. Give us a bit of a low down on how you went.

Kady Ibell: 1:26

So I did pretty well in all four swims. I came ninth in the 50 backstroke and 50 breaststroke. I came sixth in the final and a little bit over my best times, but I was very happy with those things.

Danielle Spurling: 1:40

Fantastic. It's amazing that you're continuing to do open swimming as well as masters With the open races. Are they mainly 50s or do you go up to the 100 and 200?

Kady Ibell: 1:51

Yes, so lately I've been. I focus on the 50 meter sprints at state championships just because they're fun, but I do compete. My main event is the 200 medley, so I do compete up to the 200 meter swims as well. So 50s, 100, 200s.

Danielle Spurling: 2:06

And will you? Will you be heading off to the Australian Open Nationals this year?

Kady Ibell: 2:12

I won't be this year because the same week is the Queensland Masters Championships out channel. So I'm focusing on that this year. I'm trying to qualify for the Olympic trials as well, so that's sort of my next goal. I've got a few competitions leading into that to try and get the. I'm looking at the 100 breaststroke and the 200 medley if I can, but they're the two sort of focus events for Olympic trials if I can go. But yeah, I'm really looking forward to this whole season.

Danielle Spurling: 2:40

Yeah, how close are you to those two qualifying times?

Kady Ibell: 2:43

I've in the past. My best times are under them. I just haven't redone them in the qualifying time limit, so I got my 100 breaststroke in 2021, december and I need to do it after January 2022. So I just need to re-swim it.

Danielle Spurling: 2:58

Yeah.

Kady Ibell: 2:58

But yeah, just trying to fit in the training enough now to be able to achieve that goal.

Danielle Spurling: 3:02

Yeah, that sounds fantastic. Well, first of all, what I wanted to talk about was to sort of dive into the transition between that open swimming career and your masters. What prompted you to try masters?

Kady Ibell: 3:15

So in 2021 was when I started masters I had after COVID 2019 was my good racing and then COVID hit and we had eight weeks completely out of the pool and I just sort of lost a lot of enjoyment of the sport. When I came back, I just wasn't hitting the time that I was doing previously and I just wasn't even close to hitting a PB. So my enjoyment was starting to go down and my squad at training because we're from a small town the level and the age group had dropped, so I was about 10 years older minimum than everyone else in the squad, so losing a little bit of what I had in the past. So I thought, okay, I'm coaching at the time and I had about six or seven masters swimmers from Te Wumba. They sort of just were having a lot more fun and friendships and all of that business and that really prompted me to have a go and they were really convincing. They were like yep, let's join you in that.

Kady Ibell: 4:11

And yeah, I had a few competitions in that end of 2021 that really, really enjoyed that. Yeah, just, I had a few friends from down south as well Daria Schiltz and Desina Humphrey. They really knew them from up here as well. So they got me into doing masters. They loved it. So I thought, okay, I'll have a crack and my enjoyment's come back. So much since then. So.

Danielle Spurling: 4:35

Well, why do you think it's such a difference in the mindset between the two?

Kady Ibell: 4:40

Yeah, it's. I think the pressure in open swimming it's a lot more expectation than with masters. You just a lot of people do, obviously, masters for fun, but you've also got the competitive side as well. You can just have a swim or you can compete at a high level and I think that takes the pressure off where open swimming it's very serious. So the masters is a very good environment, very positive, very happy.

Danielle Spurling: 5:06

Yeah, that's good to see your enjoyment back in the swimming and obviously you're still swimming so fast, being able to race at the open champs.

Kady Ibell: 5:13

Yeah, so the last. So from 2021,. I still had my good training background that pushed me through to be able to hit those times. And in December just gone, I've just got a new job, so now I'm doing full-time work rather than part-time work. Yeah, keep the training up to be able to keep that standard is quite tricky. So I'm still, yeah, figuring out my new routine to be able to compete at that level. But, yeah, I've done a lot in the past that I can keep that whole new training schedule. So I was doing a lot more long distance work and a lot more pace work, and now I'm doing less sessions. I have to do a bit more shorter sprinting, so trying to keep the hundreds and two hundreds up is going to be tricky, but, yeah, I'm doing quite well at the moment.

Danielle Spurling: 6:01

So what, what? How have the training sessions dropped? So, in terms of when you were doing the open, how many were you doing then and how many are you doing now?

Kady Ibell: 6:11

Yeah, so at their home where I was training, I was doing between seven and nine swims a week and a couple of gym sessions on top of that, and now I'm two to four sessions a week and some gym if I can fit it in as well, and I was doing between probably four and six kilometers per session in with the seven sessions a week and a lot of pace work and some more medley work in that as well. But now it's like one to two K after work if I can fit it in before it gets dark and before the pool closes in town. So that's sort of the main change and a little bit more. Yeah, just sprint based work at the moment.

Danielle Spurling: 6:47

And do you think were you always a good 50 meter sprinter, or do you think that that's come on now that you're doing that, that sort of particular work in the water?

Kady Ibell: 6:55

Yeah, I think the lack of training that I've had pushed me towards the fifties, because the hundreds drop off a little bit with lack of training. But as a little kid I was two to 50, up to 1500. So I was a bit of everything. I was actually a backstroker when I was little but that changed when I was starting high school and then I transitioned to medley and I've always had that medley background because my coaches have always said make sure young swimmers do all four strokes and that gives you fitness and everything as well and be able to compete in everything. And when I was 12, my coach at the time he said like we want to focus on like the 800 to keep the fit and be able to show up when the whole club competed in those longer distance races and points for the club. But now, yeah, it's transitioned to more brush stroke, shorter races, 50 and 100 and the 200 medley as well.

Danielle Spurling: 7:51

Have you found that you've had to change? Obviously the stroke rate is different between a 250. But have you had to adjust any parts of your technique for that shift?

Kady Ibell: 8:03

A little bit. I find probably with my longer freestyle in the past I've had to learn to get that rating up a little bit and shorten it a little bit and I'm not the tallest swimmer so I can't copy long tall swimmers. So trying to get the catch earlier and higher elbows in brush stroke and a short, like I got that narrow kick in brush stroke. That's sort of as you grow up it changes depending on how your body changes and yeah, definitely narrow kick and high elbows in the brush stroke is different compared to my longer brush stroke technique.

Danielle Spurling: 8:36

And with the full time work. I mean when you, when you start full time work in your and you're trying to train, you get so tired from work and there's not a lot of energy left over to put into your swimming. So how do you manage to sort of motivate yourself to do that?

Kady Ibell: 8:51

It's tricky. I've only been in the new job six weeks so I'm still figuring it out. But just, I think it's a good mental release after work, going for a swim at the moment rather than doing big sessions but leading into state championships in April. I want to be able to up those caves a little bit and get that pace work back in rather than just the short sprints or just like a float swim. But I'm yet to really good mental release after work. I haven't done a lot of mornings yet With the full time. I'm still figuring out all that schedule so I'm preferred the afternoons at this stage. But I sort of plan at the start of the week I'll do like alternate days Monday, wednesday, friday swim and then alternate days with the gym. So I can just break it up a little bit. Good idea.

Danielle Spurling: 9:37

Yeah, because it's really tempting to let that gym side of things slide to get into the water, but I think it's super important to continue doing that. Do you have someone running a gym program for you or do you do your own thing?

Kady Ibell: 9:49

At the moment I'm at Fit Stop North Torma and it's a very nice group class and it's like every Monday's like a perform class where you do a bit of cardio, a bit of strength, and then Tuesday, friday is a more strength based, and then Wednesdays and Saturdays are cardio. So I can sort of balance out my week through that and just focus on more of a cardio if I've done less swim, or focus on the lifting days, the strength, and trying to build up sort of with the squats and dead lifts, the main lifts, and trying to work out like the four competitions make sure I'm not doing too heavy so I'm not getting too sore, and then I don't want to get sick either. So I'm trying to just balance it out with one swim. One gym is to sort of stretch out my muscles as well.

Danielle Spurling: 10:33

Yeah, good idea. Are you someone that likes to sort of do a bit of activation before you get in the water, or do you just hop in cold?

Kady Ibell: 10:40

Definitely not cold, because I'm getting older now and I'm feeling my age a lot in these competitions. But I try and just do a little bit of stretching, especially the night before and then on the day doing a little bit of core activation, little bit of glute activation. Especially with the sprint rest stroke is quite hard to get going, yeah, so mainly little bit of core, little bit of stretching, little bit of legs, wings, that sort of stuff very basic but really necessary.

Danielle Spurling: 11:07

I mean, I see so many swimmers just jumping the water without any activation and yeah, it really affects your shoulders later in life, so keep doing it.

Kady Ibell: 11:16

Yes, keep going. I'm not too old yet, but I definitely am starting to feel it, yeah you do?

Danielle Spurling: 11:20

You get tight, you get tighter. I think I mean you lose a range of flexibility. So it's really important to keep to keep going with that.

Kady Ibell: 11:27

Yeah, especially now that I'm on my feet eight till four thirties every day rather than just morning and afternoon. I'm not getting my naps through the day anymore, unfortunately. But yeah, just trying to keep that length in my muscles and off my feet if I can. With the swimming, yeah, what's the new job? I'm a therapy assistant now at the Chwamba Hospital. So yeah, doing five days a week at the moment and my contract is going well so far. And yeah, compared to swim coaching it's very different. But working with stroke patients and adult rehabilitation and all of that, so it's going very well.

Danielle Spurling: 12:02

That's in the rehab of the hospital. Yeah, okay.

Kady Ibell: 12:06

Yes, rehab, yeah, section there. So I've got the medical ward and the in and out patient therapy as well. So at the moment I'm in the rehab ward.

Danielle Spurling: 12:15

Yeah, I bet it's really real. I'm sure it's really rewarding because you're helping them get back to what they were pre-accident or pre-stroke.

Kady Ibell: 12:24

Yes, because I'm not just doing exercises with them, I'm helping them with swallowing again, talking again, walking again. So it's a very, very different environment, but it's very positive as well. Matches in with my masters is very well.

Danielle Spurling: 12:38

And back to your training. Are you now still training with the squad, with the master squad, or by yourself?

Kady Ibell: 12:46

So I've never trained with a master's squad. I swim under, at the moment, the University of Queensland masters, but because I'm living in Toowoomba, I just train with the national squad up at Fairhome College. But now that I've got full-time work I'm just training on my own at the local pool just a couple of times a week when I think Wow that's really tough.

Danielle Spurling: 13:07

That's tough swimming by yourself, isn't it?

Kady Ibell: 13:10

Yes, very, I'm figuring it out slowly because I get there and I'm like oh, I'll just, I'll do this set today that I don't really feel like it. So I've just got to keep that motivation going, that I've got this competition coming up and want to keep working towards that.

Danielle Spurling: 13:24

The world masters you went to last year in Japan, in 2023. Was that the first world masters you'd convened at?

Kady Ibell: 13:30

Yes, so I turned 25 in 2021. So I joined masters when I was 25 and that was supposed to be the year that Japan Worlds were going to be on, so I was like, yep, ready to go. And then, yeah, got postponed, so I felt like I had a little bit more experience before I went into that. But, yeah, it was definitely my first championships, which was very exciting, first overseas trip as well, so that was a big learning curve as well. So with the heat as well it was 42 degrees that got like it over there every day. So managing with all those different circumstances as well was tricky, but I loved the competition and that whole environment and we had a really good group of people that went over, so very enjoyable.

Danielle Spurling: 14:11

Oh, that's really nice. Did you stay together as a group?

Kady Ibell: 14:16

We didn't. My family and I, we went over. So we had five of us go over and we just met up with the whole team at the pool and caught up each day and supported each other, depending on whose race was on where, because they had the two pool at the competition, so the men and women were on different times. So I had a lot of support from the club. They came and watched me because I was the last hit, because I was in the youngest age group. They all finished their competition and they came over and supported me through that.

Danielle Spurling: 14:42

Oh, that's nice, Really lovely. Yeah, yeah, that's really nice. That's what I love about masters. I know I know that sort of range of ages that you have, but everyone has that one thing in common that they all love swimming, and I think it's a real age barrier breaker.

Kady Ibell: 14:57

It is because I find that's another difference from open swimming is because the kids are so much younger. They haven't experienced what we've experienced. Yeah, they just don't have that same enthusiasm or commitment and there's a lot of stress in that situation for them. So when I'm at open meets I pretty much hang with all the masters group anyway. Just we're all positive and we're all making finals, so it's a great environment to be in, yeah for sure.

Danielle Spurling: 15:24

And what was some of the? I know you mentioned the heat in Japan. What were some of the things that you didn't expect and you had to sort of work your way through them?

Kady Ibell: 15:31

The language barrier. That was very tricky because our medley relay team we meddled in the four by 50 medley relay and we originally came forth and we looked at the reaction times on the changeovers and we saw that the Chinese team had actually jumped the start on one of their legs and they hadn't updated the results. So we had to go down and try and sort that all that situation out. But the language barrier, there was no English so we really struggled to let them know what was happening and we eventually found an interpreter. So that was very handy. We ever got all that situation sorted through that. But yeah, the language barrier, the heat, the food, yeah, just the travel, trying to figure out the trains and buses and all their schedules as well. So that was probably the biggest thing was the travel.

Danielle Spurling: 16:23

What were some of the challenges? With the food, With the food?

Kady Ibell: 16:26

just my normal food that I would have here before a competition. There's like no cereal, no cereal, anything or bread even over there and yeah, just trying to. They have sushi or rice but that's their sort of breakfast and yeah, I had none of my normal food there. So trying to figure out what I could eat and what I could stomach before I would race, that was one of the tricky parts. A lot of my friends they bought food over, but I didn't. I was just scared to try that so I just thought I would just get something when I'm there, but there was nothing I could really eat before so that was a bit tricky. So, yeah, just had a few little sandwiches and things like that, rather than lots of food.

Danielle Spurling: 17:05

Well then, I mean, you've got to sort of go to one World Champs first to figure out how to do the next one. Really, because there's so many things like the warmup pool, for instance, is a nightmare you can't do your proper warmup.

Kady Ibell: 17:17

No, I was not expecting that either, but the relay day was very tricky because we had the men and the women together as well, so there was like 6,000 people there at once, so trying to just fit in a lane and also they swim backwards there you go the other way.

Danielle Spurling: 17:32

That was really tricky as well.

Kady Ibell: 17:33

Oh no, it's so hard, yeah, trying to remember to go the right way, because I was so scared of getting injured by going the wrong way. So I've had to concentrate a lot in the warmups as well.

Danielle Spurling: 17:42

Yeah, it's so hard to do backstroke in those when you're warming up at the Worlds for that.

Kady Ibell: 17:47

Yeah, I literally did like three or four strokes and I turn over just to make sure no one's coming my way as well, I know. If I can control mine, but I can't control if they're going to do it. So that was very tricky.

Danielle Spurling: 17:56

Exactly, and all of those challenges. You had four races that you meddled in. Which one were you the happiest with, and tell us about that race?

Kady Ibell: 18:06

Yes, I would say the 100th breaststroke. I was very relieved because I was ranked. I had to look at the entry list before I went over and I was ranked quite high in all of my swims. And the first day the 200 backstroke didn't go quite how I planned and I was like I was happy with fit. I was really excited that I got fit in the world. And then I had my 100 breaststroke and it was one of my main swims and I was like I would really like to meddle in that and I touched the wall and I saw a third and I was very excited with that. But I also then realized I only meddled by 0.04 of a second.

Danielle Spurling: 18:39

Wow, it's close.

Kady Ibell: 18:40

So that was very close. So I felt very, very grateful to even get a medal over there and that was, yeah, very big relief. In that one I liked all four of my medals, obviously. That was amazing. And having the relay so I say my 100 breaststroke was my best individual race, and then my four by 50 medley, doing that with my three other UQ girls, was very exciting as well.

Danielle Spurling: 19:05

Yeah, that's so much fun having a relay like that.

Kady Ibell: 19:09

I love relays. Yeah, we weren't expecting to have one, because we had four women and four men, so that worked out perfectly and we could have the two female relays, two male relays, but then also the mixed relays. So getting to swim with the men was very exciting as well.

Danielle Spurling: 19:23

That's cool, were you all around the same age.

Kady Ibell: 19:27

No, so I was. How old was I at the time? 27. And then the ladies had 30 years on me, but the men were all 40 to 50 to 60s. So I was definitely the youngest by a lot. But I just can't believe how quick these men and women are at that age. So that's another reason why I joined. Masters was just the amazement of how people can swim at that age. And I have a few older friends in my UQ team that do like the 400 butterfly at 80 years old. I'm just like how do you do that? And they're like this is the fun one. I can't sprint. I'm like, yeah, that's not enjoyment for me, but you can do that one, I'll let you have that one. So I love seeing older, older swimmers swim as well. Yeah, Just how quick they are.

Danielle Spurling: 20:14

They're really inspirational, ridiculously.

Kady Ibell: 20:17

Yeah, and what is?

Danielle Spurling: 20:19

what does Katie look like in the in the marshalling area? Are you a quiet sort of person or do you like to talk to people?

Kady Ibell: 20:26

It depends on the race for me. I get pretty nervous with my 200 medley because it's such a important race to me, so I get quite nervous and just sit sort of by myself. But all like the 50-meter swims or the real age, like I'm a bit crazy. I go and talk to everyone I can and I'm very fast with my talking, so I get a bit puffed before I have to go out. So I have to sit calm just before I go out so I can actually get my breath back after chatting to everyone, which was really good in Japan with our relays, with the marshalling area, and we were just taking selfies with all the other teams and having good chats with everyone, trying to figure out where they're all from and different language barriers. So now having the selfies with all of them was really cool.

Danielle Spurling: 21:08

And what are some of your other Masters competitions that you've been in that you've really enjoyed competing at?

Kady Ibell: 21:15

So my very first competition in Masters was Queensland State Long Course at Kauana and it was such a big learning curve for me because one for swimming with the men side by side and I was a bit oblivious with especially my 100 butterfly. I was like I'll put in my time that I normally would swim at open competitions and they put me in the middle of the men and I just drowned. I was so swamped with waves it was ridiculous. So having that competition was a good learning experience. And then I've had great Barre-Reef Masters games. I loved that. That was every time I go. There is amazing. And then Pampasiva Championships. I haven't been to a national championships yet. I'm going to Darwin in May, so that will be my first ever Nationals. And then the Premier League swimming competition. I experienced that in November last year with my team. We were actually one at that competition so we had a really, really good afternoon. It was just not serious at all. It was just a good team environment and just supporting each other as we go, which was really nice.

Danielle Spurling: 22:19

Tell us about the Premier League because I'm trying to get my head around it. It's a little bit like the ISL type, yeah.

Kady Ibell: 22:24

Right, yes, which I like. It was short course, which I prefer, and we had a team of eight and it had to be half boys, half girls and had to be under I think it was like 250 years combined with everyone. So you couldn't just have all young quick swimmers, you had to have the older age group as well and had to figure out who could spend what strokes as well. So you had to sort of balance it out.

Kady Ibell: 22:51

The hardest part was the mystery race. So you had to roll a dice and they said at the start of the day they had like number one it was going to be 203, number 200 back, things like that, and we were all praying that it was going to be the 25 butterfly or 25 brush stroke. And it came out every time, except for, I think, two out of the six weren't the 203 style and every other roll the dice was 203 style. So I copped that one. So that was great, yes, but you have eight. I think we had eight teams at that competition and the top four after the first round went to the A final and the bottom four went to the B final and the winner of both finals got prize money. Oh nice, that was a very different experience with that, so that was really good.

Danielle Spurling: 23:37

Yeah, how often do they run those?

Kady Ibell: 23:41

I'm not really sure. I think there's been five in total so far and there's another one coming up, but one of my friends just invited me to it. I think it's every couple of months maybe, or every year. So we were November and I think the next one's coming up. Yeah, because it was the very first, so the one I went to it was the very first Masters edition, so I think it was just open swimming before that and a lot of the Olympians went to the last one, so this was the first Masters one, so it was a lot of fun.

Danielle Spurling: 24:13

Yeah, it sounds it. Yes, it was great. Yeah, and you've been number one in the world for the 25 to 29 200. I am short course. Yeah, when did you do the swim that placed you at that ranking?

Kady Ibell: 24:27

It was the 2021 Brisbane Southside competition at Chandler. Okay.

Kady Ibell: 24:33

Yeah so I was actually racing Casey Flouch at the time and he had big inspiration to me so it was good to race him and I am better at backstroke than him and he's better at breaststroke than me. So I had to really knuckle down on that backstroke and try and catch him and they just took off on me in breaststroke. So that really pulled me out in that first 100 meters and I just had to hang on after that. So I was very happy with that swim.

Danielle Spurling: 24:58

How do you build a 200 I?

Kady Ibell: 25:00

am. Oh, it's a tricky one. So for me my breaststroke obviously is one of my strengths, but in the actual 200 medley my backstroke is actually my strength, so I've got to not go too hard in that butterfly. So the 50 flies just like a strong, solid effort, easy speed, and then pretty much just go hard from there. But I try.

Kady Ibell: 25:22

I was taught when I was about 17 from one of Michael Bolsfum's at the time that he used to work on every. So the first 25 of each 50, you try and go, it's slower than the second 25. So you try and build each 50 as well. So the second half of each 50 had to be quicker than the first. So I've always sort of use that philosophy and give everything in the freestyle. So, and then short course. Yeah, short course is hard as well, yeah, so you had to work with turns. Oh, I love, I love short course, me too. It just it's a lot. That's the only time you can do. 100 I am, so that's the best thing. I love 100 I am, but I do love my 200. Are you good at turns? I could be better, but yes, I prefer short course because of my terms I'm. Because I'm shorter, I can sort of get in and out a lot quicker. I just have to work on the underwater part. I'm good at the turn. I just need to fix the underwater part.

Danielle Spurling: 26:18

Yeah, what do you mean when you say you have to fix it? Why, what's wrong?

Kady Ibell: 26:21

with it. I think I just I don't do it fast enough. I'm sort of like not a relaxed sort of state. I just, yeah, I think, oh yeah, I've done, done my turn and then I can start swimming, but I forget about I have to actually work harder in that underwater. So I've been trying to work on that the last six months or so.

Danielle Spurling: 26:38

How many dolphin kicks you do off a turn for your freestyle, oh for freestyle.

Kady Ibell: 26:44

I think it's four. I try and do in 50 and 100. I don't really have enough oxygen for 200. But in my 200 medley I work on eight for butterfly, seven for backstroke, one obviously for breaststroke and then four for freestyle Yep. So I've got a specific pattern for my medleys.

Danielle Spurling: 27:06

But that's really interesting, does that? Do you think that puts you in a bit of oxygen debt by the time you get to that freestyle?

Kady Ibell: 27:11

A little bit. So for my short course it does a little bit. So I try and just see how I go at the time. But my long course, that's the only way I can keep my momentum going. So I looked at Katinka Hosu that's who I studied leading into that and that seemed to work for me as well. And if I, like I said before, if I go too slow and relaxed with my underwater, then I go into oxygen debt. So I have to make sure it's nice and zippy.

Danielle Spurling: 27:37

Yeah, wow, that's really impressive underwater. So you do the same amount off the dive yeah.

Kady Ibell: 27:43

So eight off the fly dive, yeah, and then I probably go four off the turn in short course, but in long course I just go eight off the dive and what are the master's events?

Danielle Spurling: 27:53

I know you mentioned you're going to Darwin, but long term, what sort of? What are you sort of aiming for? What are your aspirations?

Kady Ibell: 28:00

Singapore World Champs in 2025. That's my next one. It'll be my last World Champs in the 25 to 29 age group, so I'd love to improve on my results from Japan now that I've had an overseas trip and learned all about what and what not to do. But, yeah, I think I'll probably do the same events as I did in 2023, depending on the training. If I can get enough training in before that, then I'll probably look at the same events, because half of them are brush stroke and half of them are medley. So, yeah, that's sort of the next big goal I've got. Yeah, this whole next season it'll be state championships in Brisbane, national championships in Darwin, pampax in November 2024, and then World Champs in 2025. That's sort of the next big step. So, and then I'll look at after that with life where it heads as well. Yes, yeah, of course, I'm approaching 30, so getting on a little bit. So, yeah, trying to make some bigger life decisions as well. So I thought I'll have a good hit out at 2025 World Champs and, yeah, go from there.

Danielle Spurling: 29:06

They haven't really said when Singapore what time of the year it's going to be, but it will tend to be around July, august, that type of time.

Kady Ibell: 29:15

I'm expecting that as well. So it'll be interesting the heat over there as well. So at least I've prepared from Japan being in August as well. But like Doha is going to be quite different this year, I'm obviously not going, but yeah, just to see how everyone responds compared to Japan will be very interesting.

Danielle Spurling: 29:33

Singapore is a bit more tropical than Japan, so it's probably a bit more similar. I lived there for a little while and it's similar to the weathering by North Queensland sort of humidity, but it's the same temperature every day basically.

Kady Ibell: 29:47

Well, it would be good, kind of like Darwin and Cairns. So that kind of temperature, yeah, for sure.

Danielle Spurling: 29:52

Yeah, can you give us a bit of an insight into one of the sessions that you do by yourself?

Kady Ibell: 29:58

Yes. So I try a little bit more sprint work, obviously, and my go-to set is it's a long set, it's 55-25s and you start at 10-25s on one minute and then you have a little swim off and then 9-25s on 55. And then you work your way down to the last 25 dive start on 15 seconds. So when I'm doing that brush stroke it's a bit of a push but it's been a very good one for me to get that speed up ready to go for my 50 and my start of my 100. So I'll have to do some more of my back end for the next couple of competitions because it's not just 50m swims.

Kady Ibell: 30:38

But yeah, that's my go-to for my sprint and what will you do to work on that back end Probably yeah, I used to do a few sessions where I would do after we do a bit of a process with this first little bit progression. But eight 100s breaststroke on four minutes sprint, and I've never done that long course. So I'm going to be doing a little bit of progression leading into that like start with like two and then the next week maybe go four and just see how I'm progressing with time and stroke as well. So just focusing on drills leading into it as well, so I have that efficiency and then start to drop the times down from there and see how long I can sort of hold that pace for. And that will be my sort of go to for leading into trying to get that Olympic trial qualifying time.

Danielle Spurling: 31:25

Are you? I forgot to ask are you training in a 25 meter pool or 50?

Kady Ibell: 31:29

When I train on my own downtown it'll be in a 50 meter pool, and then if I train with a squad at the Fairham College pool, that's 25. So I've always trained 25, but the pool in the middle of town is 50 meter. So I am enjoying that at the moment because it's outdoors.

Danielle Spurling: 31:46

Everyone that comes on the podcast. I love to ask them their deep dive five, which is their swimming favorite? So just give me the first thing that pops into your head. Favorite pool that you've ever swam at Outdoor pool at Melbourne Aquatic Center.

Kady Ibell: 31:58

Oh very nice, I love that pool.

Danielle Spurling: 32:01

Do you? Okay, you had some good times there.

Kady Ibell: 32:04

I have, and it's. It just feels so light. The water feels like it doesn't feel like 25 meters. I've never swam in at 50. I've just done 25 competitions there, but I've got my best ever result at Australia Nationals in that pool, so good times.

Danielle Spurling: 32:17

Good memories, very good. How about your favorite goggles Favorite?

Kady Ibell: 32:21

goggles, opal Speedos I am. I used to train in the Opal Clear Speedos, but now I like the Murud.

Danielle Spurling: 32:29

And how about your favorite breaststroke training drill? It's called.

Kady Ibell: 32:33

Lerada, so L-A-R-A-D-A, which is left arm, right arm, double arm. So I learnt that at a Queensland breaststroke camp and I've used it ever since.

Danielle Spurling: 32:43

Yep, and is it just one, one of each? Yeah?

Kady Ibell: 32:46

So you keep the legs the same, but keep the other arm out in front. So do the left arm, do the right arm and then do a full stroke of breaststroke.

Danielle Spurling: 32:55

Nice, I like that one.

Kady Ibell: 32:56

Yeah, it's very fancy.

Danielle Spurling: 32:58

And how about when you, when you're not in Japan, and you can eat the food that you like? What's your favorite pre-race meal?

Kady Ibell: 33:05

Oh, we have apricot chicken is normally my go-to the night before or honey mastered chicken, so usually rice chicken, things like that.

Danielle Spurling: 33:13

Nice. And how about on competition day? What do you sort of eat before breakfast?

Kady Ibell: 33:18

I struggle to eat but I usually have raisin toast that's one of my go-to's bananas and pincots for jam. They're my sort of three little quick snacks, plus pout raids and things like that, if I can't stomach the food.

Danielle Spurling: 33:32

Yeah, because nerves make such an impact on race day, don't they?

Kady Ibell: 33:36

Yes, and I've had a lot of trouble in the past. I was on reflux medication for a long time and we figured out that my blood sugar dropped ridiculously, that I pretty much was nearly a coma toast with how low it was. So I figured out if I don't eat, it drops at least two points. So I've yeah, as I've gotten older, I'm like, yep, I can see where that importance people have told me in the past, but now I get it. So make sure I eat Just something, just something little, some mouthful here and there.

Danielle Spurling: 34:04

And how about the swimmer you most admire and why?

Kady Ibell: 34:08

Oh, I've got a couple Like. Jess Shipper is one of my favorites. She's just super friendly and, I think, a little bit underrated she yeah, my favorite ever race to watch was the 4x100 Medley at Beijing and I've had a lot of talks about all of that with her and just such an inspiration to me as a young kid and I was never really a butterflyer but she sort of got me into fly as a younger kid. I just wanted to look up to her and be like her with that. But one of the most friendly people I've ever met. And you mentioned you had a few others. Oh, yes, natalie Coglund. She's one of my favorites from America In the old age group. I do like my older era swimmers and just wanted her quotes that she had and I really like where, what she did with her training and how when she got older she transitioned from all of those events from Beijing longer, like 200 Medley, 200 Backstroke into the Sprint freestyle and just how she transitions from there is very interesting. So I do like watching that.

Danielle Spurling: 35:14

Have you and she's got a book out, I think, hasn't she? Have you read that?

Kady Ibell: 35:17

I think so I haven't read it yet, so that's sort of on my list.

Danielle Spurling: 35:21

Well, Katie, thank you so much for sharing your insights and experiences with us today. I'm really excited to follow your journey and I hope to meet you in person on Paul Deck and Darwin that would be great, darwin would be great, and then maybe at MSAC one day as well, that would be really good.

Kady Ibell: 35:35

Yeah, for sure.

Danielle Spurling: 35:37

Thank you for having me. Yeah, you're welcome. Take care, see you. I hope you enjoyed my chat with Katie and took something from Katie's journey that you can add into your own swimming and help you improve down the track. Congratulations to Felicity Hawkins for winning our competition for the Form Goggles, and thank you to everyone that left us a lovely review on Apple or even sent them personally. Till next time. Happy swimming and bye for now.