Torpedo Swimtalk with Kasia Wilk-Wasick - 4 time Olympian and US Masters Swimmer

What does it take to bounce back from a career-ending injury and return to the world of competitive swimming stronger than ever?

In this episode of Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast we had the pleasure of speaking with Kasia Wilk- Wasick, 4 time Olympian for Poland, US Masters Swimming National record holder and a silver medallist in the 50m freestyle at both the long and short course World Championships in 2022.

Kasia trains with the professional team at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, and in this episode, she shares with us her training regimen, mindset, and approach to racing as she prepares for the upcoming world championships in Fukuoka.

We dive deep into the specific drills and techniques that Kasia uses to build strength and speed in the pool, as well as the mental strategies she employs to stay focused and confident during races. She also shares some of the challenges she's faced as a competitive swimmer, from injury setbacks to tough competition, and how she's overcome them.

Whether you're a swimmer yourself or just a fan of the sport, you won't want to miss this inspiring and informative conversation with one of the top swimmers in the world. So tune in and learn from Kasia's years of experience and dedication to the sport of swimming.

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Transcript

Danielle Spurling: 1:11

Hello Swimmers and welcome to another episode of Torpedo Swim Talk podcast. I'm your host, Danielle Spurling, and each week we chat to a master swimmer from around the world about their swimming journey. I loved talking to my guest today, polish four-time Olympian and master swimmer, Kasia Wasick. Kasia has a fascinating swimming story to share. She retired after the Rio Olympics with a shoulder injury, found her way to master swimming and reignited her love of racing, and came back to swim at the Tokyo Olympics In 2022,. She won two silver world championship medals in the 50 freestyle at the long course and short course worlds. Let's hear how she did it. 

Hi Kasia, welcome to the podcast. 

Kasia Wasick 2:10
Hi Danielle, thanks for having me. 

Danielle Spurling 2:15
Yeah, you're welcome. I'm really pleased that we've got the chance to have a chat. I know you're based in Las Vegas. What pool do you swim out of there?

Kasia Wasick: 2:20

I swim at the University of Nevada, las Vegas, at the Yonovie. Pretty much five years from now, basically ever since I came back from the retirement, i train at the same pool.

Danielle Spurling: 2:35

Oh, that's fabulous. I was going to jump straight into why you came back. I know you're a four-time Olympian, but you had a little bit of a break between 2016 or Rio and Tokyo. What happened in that time and how did you come back to swimming?

Kasia Wasick: 2:53

Yeah, so 2016, after the Rio Olympics, i started training normally for the next Olympics. I wasn't ready to be done with the sport. I was pretty happy with my journey and I was ready for more. So while I was training, i injured my shoulder and ever since I was dealing with my rotary leg calf my shoulder. So that was pretty much the beginning of my retirement. That started my break from swimming And obviously then a lot of things happened. I moved from LA to Las Vegas, i was planning a wedding in Poland, so there was just so many things that happened in my life. I got a job in Vegas and I basically find myself not swimming anymore, and that was the beginning of my retirement in 2016.

Danielle Spurling: 4:06

And how did you with the rotator cuff injury? did you have surgery on that, or did you do physio and rehab? to get it back to what it is today?

Kasia Wasick: 4:15

Actually, no, I stayed away from the surgery At the beginning. I just took a break. It was hurting so bad. I did the MRI and I was like you know what, I'm so busy I'm moving to another TV, I'm just going to take a break. And yeah, I, you know the injury got better from just resting it. And yeah, I mean, my sister was helping me. She's a PT so she was helping me with some exercises, But yeah, mostly just recovering from swimming.

Danielle Spurling: 4:56

Yeah, I think that with injuries like that, having a sort of prolonged rest from the pool really helped. Do you find that you have to do a lot of prehab and activation now?

Kasia Wasick: 5:09

100%. Yes, This is the part of my routine right now that I can skip And I honestly made a peace with it. It's you know. It's being a little bit older. I think I have a better understanding of my body And now I'm not complaining. I know this is only going to be, you know, it's only going to help me. So, yeah, I have my routine and I stick with it every day.

Danielle Spurling: 5:45

And what does the routine entail? Can you talk us through that?

Kasia Wasick: 5:50

So I mean I basically start my day with rehab exercises. Sometimes I do it on my own and they're really simple, you know, just for like to warm up my shoulders and basically my whole body. So you know, i love mobility training and I feel like that allows me to stay healthy for longer and stay away from injuries. Sometimes I, you know, jump with my sister and I have a video called with her and she just watches me how I do my exercises. So yeah, i mean, like I don't know the names and stuff so I go deep into it, but they're pretty simple at that point And it's definitely a lot of mobility and it's not only the shoulders but also the spine and my hips, my ankles. So just a full body mobility training.

Danielle Spurling: 6:53

In 2018, you were still on your break from swimming, but you found your way to the Las Vegas Masters swimming team. How did that come about and what was that Masters experience like?

Kasia Wasick: 7:06

Yeah, so I was basically off from swimming two years And during those two years, i feel like I experienced different life and I really, i really believe that I'm done with swimming completely and I'm never gonna be back to the sport. I remember laying in bed and being just sad, you know, which is like I wasn't ready to be done with the sport. I was only 24. Then in 2018, i was 26. So I was still super young, and being done with something that I work with, work for like my entire life, and not making that decision on my own, was really painful for me. I still watched my friends swimming and racing at the international level And I knew I could be there, but I just I'm not doing anything to be there. So that was really hurting me and I couldn't find myself in the world. I feel like that's the challenge for every swimmer to have the future already planned before you retire, because otherwise it's really hard to find yourself in this world. So in 2018, the beginning of the year, we had a master meet at the Yonovie swimming pool And my friend from California messaged me and she was like hey, i'm coming to Vegas, you should sign up for this meet. We're gonna have fun, we're gonna have some race And, yeah, it's just gonna be fun. So I signed up for this with me. Then, honestly, i didn't think about this with me as my comeback. I didn't even tell my husband, i didn't tell my family. I just went to the swim meet and I had so much fun. It's just, you know, meeting my friends and talking to coaches and just having that meet atmosphere made me realize that this is exactly what I love And I wanna have another chance in the sport. So I talked to my recent coach, ben Lurs, and he actually said like hey, if you would like to come back, we're opening a pro team after the college season is done. So I was like, okay, cool, i'm gonna get ready and see you in March. So the next Monday I went to the Las Vegas Masters swim team and I basically I try to get back to shape because I knew it's. You know, after two years of not swimming, it's not easy And I didn't wanna show up to the pro team and being like hey, i'm Kasia, i'm coming back And I'm just slow, i just wanna be at the sun level to be able to call myself a pro. So after two months of swimming with masters. I had so much fun And I think they injected even more love to swimming to my body. I mean we had practiced 5.30 every morning And I mean it was really hard. It wasn't like, hey, you know, we're just here and we're having fun, like there was a solid group of people that just wanna have a good practice in the morning And we raced and we had a lot of fun And it was just, you know, like we would have practice and then 90% of people would go to work. I worked at that time too, so it was a great experience And I met a lot of friends. I raced Master in Nationals I believe that was 2018 and 2019 as well And I'm still in touch with a lot of masters swimming.

Danielle Spurling: 11:43

Yeah, i mean you must have come back pretty fast because you broke both the USMS American records for 25 to 29 year olds.

Kasia Wasick: 11:51

Yeah, i was surprised, yeah, but you know it was just. It was so funny, i didn't think about times at that moment, i just had so much fun and so much excitement. I mean I would wake up before my alarm to just and I was just so thankful to be able to have a lane, to have a coach, to have a group of people that have the same passion as me. It's a feeling that I can't even describe It. Just I was extremely thankful And you know, i travel with my best friend Yelena Kunovac. She's a great master swimmer And she basically inspired me to pick up master swimming, swimming and, yeah, it was definitely a lot of fun.

Danielle Spurling: 12:50

Yeah, that's fantastic. I love the whole master's angle. That's terrific. I know the second part of your career. You've been more successful than you were at the start of your career, with two silver medals last year in the long course and short course, World Championships in Budapest and Melbourne in the 50 freestyle. What are you doing at 31 to make you faster and stronger than you were in your early 20s?

Kasia Wasick: 13:15

Honestly. I mean it's funny. Everyone is like looking at my age and being, and always pointing it out, like, oh, she's 31,. She's still going, you know. It's like what are you doing? You're 31. And it's almost like putting the bad stigma on the age. I feel like, you know, being past your 30s is not a bad thing, you know You're. We can associate the age with being confident, being experienced, being strong. So I don't think that, you know, when I was 21, 22 or 23, i was that confident and I was that I wasn't ready for success. I didn't know how much work it takes. You know, I was just kind of a swimmer, but not really not really ready for the success. Right now I'm more. I know what I want, i know how much work it's gonna take And I'm not afraid to put the work in. So for my case, i just had to grow up and gain the experience, gain the confidence, and also being retired for two years gave me a big perspective of my life of like, hey, this is what you love to do, this is your passion. Like, keep going, you know Nothing. I don't at that age. I don't let my dreams being influenced by other people.

Danielle Spurling: 14:58

I love that. I think that's fantastic. I mean, i think athletes like yourself and Cate Campbell and Emma McKeon, who are well, i think Kate's 30, emma's 28. I mean, you three are among the fastest freestylers in the world at the moment. So there must be something coming back at that age or continuing on. I think a lot of swimmers finish when they're in their early 20s and maybe don't realize that they could have reached the heights that you're reaching now, which is amazing and fantastic.

Kasia Wasick: 15:29

Yeah, 100%. You know, if I wouldn't come back from retirement, I would. I would be a Kasia Wasi, you know, free time Olympian And my biggest accomplishment would be being 25th at the Olympics. So I wouldn't. Even if someone would tell me that I'm gonna be a world championship medalist, i would laugh. Probably would never. And yeah it's. You know, it's sometimes, you just have to take the risk. And if I would come back and I wouldn't be as successful, i wouldn't have any regrets because this is what I wanted to do and this is what I love.

Danielle Spurling: 16:13

Absolutely. Looking at those two races last year in Budapest and then in Melbourne, which one did you feel that you executed the best out of the two? You got silver medal in both. Which one worked best for you?

Kasia Wasick: 16:27

Definitely Budapest, one, budapest, yep, yeah, long course. You know that was my first board championship medal at the big stage And yeah, i mean I started that meet with Bestime, so I couldn't ask for more. So I would say Budapest for sure, in Melbourne it was. I didn't come back from that meeting with the Bestime, but it was a great experience and I was really happy, you know, getting silver and meeting Emma for the first time. Honestly, it was so much fun. I really enjoyed my time and I always laugh because we raced in final at the Tokyo Olympics together. But you know how it is at the Olympics, you know we raced but we never talked to each other. But in Melbourne it was more opportunities to get to know each other better.

Danielle Spurling: 17:32

Yeah, that's fantastic. Yeah, she's a lovely girl, very humble, very shy. Yes, definitely.

Kasia Wasick: 17:38

Well, she comes across as shy.

Danielle Spurling: 17:39

She's probably not shy at all, but, and so you mentioned, you work with your coach, ben Lortz, at am I pronouncing his name correctly? Is it Lortz? Yeah, lortz, lortz, yeah, at the University of Nevada. Tell us about his coaching style with your pro group.

Kasia Wasick: 17:59

Yeah. so I mean we have a really great relationship and since I joined the pro group, ben joins basically coaches me with coach Pat Ota, so I don't have only one coach, i have two coaches. I'm really blessed and that team really works. We know we can always brainstorm and get different opinions, but yeah, i really love working with them. I feel like they treat me as a pro, they listen to me and at that point of my career that's really important. I don't think I could work with a coach that has a strong belief in a program and doesn't listen to my opinion or my. you know, i know my body and sometimes, you know, i have days that I'm like, yeah, i don't know if I feel good, you know, just I can feel that maybe we should do this practice tomorrow. and my coaches are excellent, listening to my body and believing me that I'm not just showing up and being like, hey, you know, i don't really wanna work, yeah, just whatever. Now they know if I show up and say, okay, i can't do it today, they know it's true and they adjust to me.

Danielle Spurling: 19:34

Yeah, how many people do you have in the pro group?

Kasia Wasick: 19:37

So, basically, when we started in 2018, we had a solid group. It was five guys and me and every year the program was getting smaller and smaller and obviously, with pandemic, it was really hard to keep the pro group. So now I would say it's. I wouldn't call it a pro group, because it's basically either the graduate students or me, so we got a little bit smaller, but it's working.

Danielle Spurling: 20:12

That's good, and with the worlds coming up in Fukuoka later in the year, will you have to go back to Poland to qualify, or have you already qualified? What's the sort of the status there?

Kasia Wasick: 20:27

I already qualified at the beginning of the year. I went to Polish Grand Prix and I made the FINA 8 car there. Then I went to two pro series in Florida and I repeat the same time. So I'm lucky that I can just stay in Vegas basically until a few days before I leave to Japan and with peace of mind I can get ready.

Danielle Spurling: 20:55

Yes, Well, it's less than a hundred days until you start racing. What does your training week look like at the moment? Like tell us how often you're in the water or how far you swim, those kind of things.

Kasia Wasick: 21:08

So I mean it doesn't change how many times I'm in the water. I mean usually it's every morning, except of Sundays, And then some after-renews starts based on basically how I feel or if we want to work on technique or anything that we want to work on. So basically every morning besides Sundays, Nice Only.

Danielle Spurling: 21:37

Sunday Good to have a rest on Sunday. How many Ks would you opt? miles in American yards? Would you be swimming in a session?

Kasia Wasick: 21:49

No, it's funny, When I was younger I really paid attention to yardage And I would count. Like after each set I would be like, okay, we have like one K, then two K, three K, how many more? And ever since I came back from my retirement I just don't care. I can have a practice that I have whatever four K. I can have practice that I have six K. I don't. I mean, you know, usually probably we stay around like four K. I would say, but Yeah, i don't really focus on yardage and I don't count the meters, just focus on executing every set really good.

Danielle Spurling: 22:42

So within a session do you always do quality sprint work.

Kasia Wasick: 22:49

Not every session. Some days we have aerobic swims that are a little bit longer, but we try to make some sprint, at least few, just to not get my muscles in the wrong place. I have to keep my speed all the time, and I think it's good for a sprinter to be explosive all the time. So we try.

Danielle Spurling: 23:20

Will you swim the 100 freestyle as well in Japan, or just the 50?

Kasia Wasick: 23:24

Just the 50.

Danielle Spurling: 23:25

Yeah, just I don't know if just No, I should say just because it's flat out.

Kasia Wasick: 23:34

Yeah, definitely the 50 freestyle.

Danielle Spurling: 23:36

Yeah, it's such a specialist event. I mean, what do you do in the gym that helps you in the pool? Your strength work in the gym?

Kasia Wasick: 23:44

Yeah, definitely 50 freestyle. It's a little bit different than any other event. And then the technique and the most, and also experience. I feel like that's why we see older swimmers swimming 50 freestyle, because the experience matters. So I have my coaches in the way room and in the pool. I have my sister working with me as well, so they focus on making me faster in the pool and making me stronger, and I believe them 100%. I really am proud of my team right now. I feel like I am proud of picking the people that I really love and trust and want to work together, so I believe they're going to help me to get faster, even next year or this year. I just believe in them and I just do their work.

Danielle Spurling: 25:00

Yeah, well, i think team Kasia is doing a pretty good job at the moment. Absolutely, and tell us a little bit about your ISL experience, because I know that you've been on three teams, i think, over the ISL journey. What was that like, and which team did you sort of feel that you gelled with the best?

Kasia Wasick: 25:25

So, yeah, isl was such a great experience for I think every swimmer Being able to finally be a professional athlete in swimming was special And we had a lot of fun. I mean, i was blessed to swim three seasons And the first season I joined Cali Condors and that was I think that was my breakout year. That was my breakout. I would say my mentality was just like completely different from just being around Cali Condors swimmers At that time. We had a lot of USA national team members and other great swimmers And I didn't really think that I belonged there at the beginning. I was just super shy. I didn't think I'm as good as them. I was like, oh my God, i have to. Every swim I want to get points because I didn't want to disappoint them And all of a sudden I would get to be with them on the relay And they would all hug me and be like, hey, come on, let's do it. And it was. It would just give me so much excitement and confidence. So I really believe that being on that team made me a better swimmer and gave me the confidence. Stepping on the block and erasing the best swimmers in the world made me realize that I can be the same as on these swimmers. I watched them train, i watched them behave and I was like, hey, i'm not different, it's like they're just people, it's like they're really good people and awesome people and I don't think I'm any less So that I think that gave me confidence of being like hey, i can get to that level if I work really hard. And yeah, i mean I had also the second year. I switched the team to New York breakers. That was also a great experience. That was a year of my career that I saw. I mean that was my breakout year. Definitely. I improved so much and that was just so special because it was a pandemic year. So we were all in the bubble Now. Really we couldn't leave the island in Budapest and just couldn't even leave our rooms. Like it was just super strange. But we had a lot of fun and a lot of fast racing. And obviously the third year definitely my favorite I mean Toyota Titans team that was really fun. I mean I really enjoyed that team and I think we showed through the performance that we click together and we have a lot of fun. So I mean all of the teams were really great, but I wish the ISO would come back. I hope one day it's gonna come back, because just traveling with all the swimmers and being able to just hang out and then race, this is all we want. So I hope one day we can do it again.

Danielle Spurling: 29:13

Yes, let's hope it gets off the ground again. It's a really great concept. I've actually I've had Rob Kent from Toronto on the podcast before. Yeah, yeah, so he's a lovely guy and one of the instrumental people in Toronto. Yeah, so that's really good. I just I also wanted to talk about your NCAA experience, because you were at USC under Dave Sello. How was that experience? Did you enjoy racing at NCAAs?

Kasia Wasick: 29:44

Yeah, my college career was really strange. Getting to my freshman year I mean, coming from Poland to the US was really difficult. I mean just not knowing many people, being in completely different environment, not being able to speak my native language. It was just a lot to swallow. And my freshman year wasn't necessarily my best swimming here, but every year would get better. You know, with being able to like get used to the place and meet more friends and just knowing that I'm a part of the team was really special, open my mind And, yeah, every year I would get better. My senior year was definitely the best And we won the relay at the NCAA. I placed third in the hundred freestyle. Yeah, we had a lot of fun. It was just it's such a team oriented thing. It's like, you know, it's kind of reminds me of ISL that like you're working for your team, you know we want to score as many points as a team, a full-time team. So I think I really love that concept. And also, it's just the meat is so fast. I mean NCAA is just super fast. So my coach my coach compared me to like European Championship is like hey, like, don't be afraid, like you've been to European Championships, it's gonna be the same. So he was right. I mean, he was right, it's really really similar.

Danielle Spurling: 31:43

What do you say is the big difference between racing in Europe and racing in America?

Kasia Wasick: 31:50

I mean definitely the mentality of the team. You know, it's like, i think, the US. In the US swimming is a little bit in Europe swimming it's more individual sport. Here in the US it's more teamwork. Even when we practice we always support each other, even though sometimes you have people that swim the same events. It doesn't matter, they still want to help each other. I believe in the big sportsmanship whoever is better is going to win at the mid. I really like the concept of just putting the work in and supporting each other.

Danielle Spurling: 32:43

Yes, absolutely. I think you've hit the nail on the head that what I see as someone looking into American swimming, they're always supporting each other on pool deck and at the Olympics. I think where I come from in Australia we've really tried to in the last 20 years try and get that team spirit with the relays. But I think prior to the year 2000 we didn't put as much emphasis on the relays And since then we had that home Olympics and I think Australian swimming has really come to the fore with our relays and that's been part of our success. I think.

Kasia Wasick: 33:26

Yes, definitely. The relays are all about the team atmosphere, so I can see how important it is and it's really hard to create. It can be faked, that atmosphere can be faked. It's really amazing what you have done here to create that kind of feeling.

Danielle Spurling: 33:56

Yeah, i agree. Now everyone that comes on the podcast, i like to ask them a few favourite swimming questions. Deep dive five questions. So I wondered what your favourite pool to race in is.

Kasia Wasick: 34:10

Budapest, 100% Budapest. I mean, this pool is just both so good that I wish every pool would be built exactly the same. It's not about even the pool, but also about, like, the stands and the locker rooms and the gyms. It's just so well made, oh it sounds beautiful.

Danielle Spurling: 34:36

There's the Masters World Championships there in a few years, which I'd like to get to. I've never been to Budapest. Yeah, sounds like a great place Your favourite goggles to race in.

Kasia Wasick: 34:47

No, none, i don't even have to think about it. The Magic Five goggles, i mean, they definitely are the best and they give me a lot of confidence.

Danielle Spurling: 34:59

Why do you find them better than other goggles?

Kasia Wasick: 35:02

Oh, i mean it's not only about the look. The look is the best out there. But I, you know, since I was 12 years old, i race in the same model of the goggles And then about a year ago, the Magic Five. I found the Magic Five goggles and at the beginning, like every swimmer is really picky and it's like when you get used to one piece of the equipment it's really hard to make a change. So at the beginning I was like I don't know if I want to switch my goggles. I've been swimming with them like 20 years. But it was really making me angry that I had to buy new goggles every few months, like every competition. I needed new goggles because the inside would get solved or like foggy or just couldn't see clearly. So I tried the Magic Five goggles and the way they fit my face I mean it's made for me, for my face So they really feel really comfortable and they last forever. I mean I still wear the same pair in training that I got last year and they look perfect, they feel perfect, they look perfect and they're not foggy like inside. So that's what I like about them and really they look awesome.

Danielle Spurling: 36:46

Yeah, they do look pretty awesome. Some really good colors as well.

Kasia Wasick: 36:50

I think when I met you in Melbourne, I was wearing the green limited edition. That was special. I was like I'm going to Australia, I'm gonna wear their colours.

Danielle Spurling: 37:04

Well, they look really cool, really good. And what's your favorite gym exercise or strength exercise? What's your one that's your favorite?

Kasia Wasick: 37:16

There's a lot that are my favorites, but before my shoulder surgery I would say pull-ups and dips, but of course right now it's hard to call them my favorites because I can't do them anymore. So I mean I throw some dips from time to time Don't take my train here because you would get it wrong but it's just definitely like the exercise that I enjoy. I love up-roll outs.

Danielle Spurling: 37:53

Yes yeah, they're good ones, aren't they? What's your favorite freestyle training drill? I would say long dog paddle.

Kasia Wasick: 38:03

It's like you know I don't know if you know this drill you basically swim like underwater freestyle. You never put your hand above the water. I just like how it feels and it allows me to focus on my catch And, yeah, i can really feel the water. I feel like my hands are glued, like made from the glue, and I am catching the water.

Danielle Spurling: 38:33

I don't love the long dog myself, but a lot of the people I train with really like that drill And I just don't seem to be able to do it very well. I don't know what the secret is, you would have to send me the video, okay. And what's your favorite? sprint, freestyle set, training set, the favorite, all the ones that maybe not your favorite, the fiends, all out.

Kasia Wasick: 39:01

I mean anything shorter than like explosive. I take it Yeah favorite definitely.

Danielle Spurling: 39:08

Yeah, sounds good. Well, kasia, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast today. It's been lovely connecting with you and hearing all about your swimming journey, and I'm sure everyone listening is going to be wishing you lots of luck for the world champs Later in the year. We'll all be watching. Thank you so much. Okay, thanks, bye, bye. Thank you, bob. I hope you enjoyed my chat with Kasia, and if her story tells us anything, it is that age is no barrier when you have the passion and commitment to make things happen. Do you like listening to our podcast, because we want to hear your thoughts. If you do, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify or on our website at torpedoswimtalkcom, because we really love reading them. Until next time, happy swimming and bye for now.