Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast
Looking for a quick dip into the world of Masters Swimming? Join us for TST Quick Splash, a bite-sized podcast that keeps you up-to-date with the latest developments and trends in the sport. Whether it's highlights from global masters swim meets or insights into open water swims, your host or special guests will deliver a concise and informative report. You'll also get valuable training tips, dry-land ideas, and product reviews to help you improve your performance in and out of the water.
Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast
Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast with World Champion Masters Swimmer Chantal Naassana
Not all champions are built in perfect conditions — and Chantal Naassana is a powerful case in point.
A three-time Masters World Champion and national champion for both Egypt and the United States, Chantal shares how she returned to elite racing after moving from Cairo to the US, navigating Minnesota winters, a full-time career and a training life largely built on her own terms. Guided by online coaches and anchored by consistency, she’s crafted a high-performance approach that proves squads and daily deck side feedback aren’t the only path to world-class results.
In this episode of Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast Chantal breaks down the nuts and bolts of training solo: how to use the pace clock as your training partner, set precise intensity targets and keep sessions efficient without sacrificing quality. We talk strength and speed — phasing from force to power before major meets and using tools like sponge drag, parachutes, fins, and broken swims to convert strength into race-day speed.
The conversation also goes deeper. Chantal opens up about racing her first Masters World Championships in Japan just one week after losing her father — and how swimming became both an anchor and an outlet in that moment. We explore mindset, visualisation (especially for the 200) and why recovery, sleep, and nutrition aren’t extras — they are the training.
With eyes on more long-course racing and Budapest 2027, and a growing passion for coaching Masters swimmers, Chantal’s message is clear: you don’t need perfect circumstances — you need intention, patience, and belief.
This is an episode for swimmers building something meaningful alongside real life — and doing it well.
🎧 Press play, steal the ideas, and swim your own way forward.
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Hello, swimmers, and welcome to Torpedo Swim Talk, the podcast celebrating swimmers at every stage, from Masters Legends to Olympic champions. I'm your host, Danielle Spurling, and each week we dive into inspiring conversations from around the world about performance, resilience, and the pure love of swimming. Today's guest is Chantal Naassana, a three-time Masters World champion. Chantal returned to competitive swimming after moving to the US in 2020, and she's built her success in a way that challenges a lot of traditional thinking. Training largely on her own, working with online coaches, and balancing high-level performance alongside a full-time career. In this conversation, we talk about what it really takes to make that work. From structuring training weeks and tapering without a squad to mindset, motivation, recovery, and why independence has become one of her biggest strengths. It's an honest, thoughtful conversation about finding your own way in the water and proving that there's more than one path to the podium. Let's hear from Chantal now. Hi, Chantal. Welcome to the podcast.
Chantal Naassana:Hi, thank you so much for having me. It's such a pleasure.
Danielle Spurling:You're very welcome. I'm really glad you can join us. Now, you're Egyptian and American, and you're now residing in the US. Where are you based?
Chantal Naassana:I'm in Minnesota, so I'm like on the midwest of the US, on the really cold parts of the US.
Danielle Spurling:How cold? How cold is it there today?
Chantal Naassana:Honestly, it's like negative 10 degrees. And then when you open your weather up, it's like feels like negative 17. So I'm and I'm Egyptian. So this is all very new to me. Yes.
Danielle Spurling:So you you went to the US to live in 2020. What drew you there?
Chantal Naassana:So um I I've always had family here, and we've always been back and forth. And uh right before COVID hit, actually, like I already had family here, and my mom decided to move to the US. And I was like, I'm gonna stay in Egypt. Like, I love Egypt, this is home, and everyone was fine with it. But then COVID hit, and I just felt like I needed to be with my family. Like I missed, like I had the whole house to myself, and it was such a moment where, like, you know what? I need to be with my family right now. So it actually wasn't planned that I would be here this long. Things kind of just rolled over, but um yeah, it's it's been five years now, so I call this my second home now.
Danielle Spurling:Yes, yeah. How how often do you get back to Egypt?
Chantal Naassana:I try to go, like I used to try to go once a year, but I think with swimming and all the traveling we do for swimming, it's really hard to like schedule going back home just because like worlds has been happening every year, so that's that's the biggest trip of the year for me. So I try to go every year. I want to be better at it. 2026, there's no world, so maybe I'll try to go more than once, but yeah, it's it's like Egypt will always be home.
Danielle Spurling:Yes. Well, what part of Egypt did you grow up in?
Chantal Naassana:Cairo. So we always had like I was just telling you, like, the sun was always shining. We always swam outdoors, it was just the best experience ever for any swimmer. We all all of our pools are outdoors, they're long course meters. So um cut moving here and swimming in like short course yards at first was like such a change, like it was really different.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, I bet. So, were you swimming masters in Egypt before you moved to America?
Chantal Naassana:No, so I I was a petitive swimmer when I was younger, and then uh with like right before I moved, I started to uh I wanted to get back into swimming. I remember I just like I had stopped swimming for the four years of college, and you know, when you stop swimming, you kind of feel like your life is empty because swimming takes up so much space in your life, and like I tried to do CrossFit and I tried to do some spinning classes, and I just like couldn't find any sport that I enjoyed. So, right before I moved, I went back to swimming, and I'm like, I'll be like, I'll just do it for fun and it'll just be a great time. And I realized I was way too competitive for that, so I'm like, I need to compete, like there's obviously no way I won't be competing. But I didn't know much, I I think Masters wasn't really big in Egypt at the time, or maybe like it was more for the older demographics. So I think people who are were like older than 50 and and above were were the ones competing. And actually, when I moved to the US, swimming became like my anchor during that transition, but I was still swimming with uh 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, and that's the team that I looked for. I had no idea that there was like a world of masters where like I'd enjoy it, and and as soon as I think I swam with that team for like two years. Swimming wasn't fun for me, it was just like a routine because I was 24 and I was swimming with 16-year-olds, so like it was just like like I was just there, like it was my routine to go to practice, and then I decided I started hearing about masters, and I'm like, maybe I should go to one practice. And my first practice, like everyone was so fast, and everyone was like having a great time. The coach was so fun, like it's a different way of training, like you train really hard, but it's like so fun. And I'm like, how did I not discover this world sooner? Like, I felt like I was missing out, and it ever since then, I've been having so much fun with it. Like, I can't believe I didn't know about masters before, like I was like 26, probably or something.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, I think what you say is actually right. There's a bit of a gap when you finish your age group swimming, and I think America do it so well because after college they sort of roll straight into masters. We we certainly don't have that in Australia, and obviously you don't have that in Egypt. But um, I think that that's a great way because there's that sort of age between 20 and 25 where we lose a lot of people from the swimming world that don't know about masters because, like you, I was a an age group swimmer and I heard about masters when I was younger, but I thought, oh, that's for really old people. It's not for me. I'm not I'm not old, but I'm actually that age now. And it's just like, you know, I think it's fantastic. It's just it's brought so much passion to my life, and it sounds like it's brought a lot of passion to yours.
Chantal Naassana:And honestly, age, like it's nothing. Like you could be in practice and you're swimming next to someone who's like twice your age, and like it's so much fun. You age is not a thing, I feel in masteries. Like, we're all just having fun. And yes, I like for me, I'm really competitive, so I want to like compete and I wanna like um I want to go really hard on myself, but I'm also like just enjoying. I see 60-year-old women, and I'm like, this is you guys are so fun. Like, I want to be you when I'm 60. Like it's just so fun.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, it is so fun. And I think um, you know, you mentioned the world championships where you were in Singapore this year, and we'll we'll speak about your world championships sort of history, but I think just seeing all those people that are older, like we had someone from our club, uh, a gentleman who's in his 90s, he came, he went to Singapore, swam, won his races, you know, world records. It's so inspiring. I hope that you know, when I'm that age, that I'm still able to be in the water and he's driving off the blocks and everything. I mean, it's it's amazing to be surrounded by such inspirational people.
Chantal Naassana:It really is. It's it's so amazing. Like, and it it makes you feel like you want to swim forever. Like, I never thought I was gonna be that person. Like, people now ask me, like, how long are you gonna be swimming? I'm like, until I run. Yeah, exactly.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, but that's the great thing about swimming because you don't have to worry about the like the impact. I think a lot of like people who run find it more difficult as they get older because of the impact on your legs and your body. But with swimming, as long as you can keep your shoulders healthy.
Chantal Naassana:A hundred percent.
Danielle Spurling:Let's talk about the world championships because you're a three-time master's world champion. So you went to Fukuoka, Doha, and Singapore. Tell us a little bit about that experience, it's a massive achievement.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, thank you so much. So I actually signed up for my first master's meet just because a friend was signing up. I had no idea what to expect. I was like, yeah, Japan sounds so cool. Like, why wouldn't I want to go and compete in Japan? And I had no idea about anything. Like, literally, I don't think I even did my research. I was just really excited and it kept on getting postponed. And I think that made me even more like want to go even more. I'm like, okay, not this year, next year, next year. So so it started off as that, and then I was in a phase of my life where um, so I came to Minnesota and I moved to New York, and then I came back. So like my life was definitely fluctuating so much that swimming was the one thing that I can sort of control and do. And there was this thing where every time I would go and join like a team or like swim somewhere, people would like comment about myself, like, you're so talented. Or like one time one of the swimmers in New York was like, Your breaststroke is crisp. And I remember him saying this. And to me, I thought people were just being nice, like, but deep inside it built a confidence. I'm like, there's no way all of these people like they don't know me, they don't have to be nice. So subconsciously, it built up some confidence. And um so right before Japan, like I think when I signed up, I hadn't been, I was never like a strength girl, like I never went to the gym, I never knew what to do. So I was like, you know what? Being in the water is like very important, but I want to start like building my strength. And and when you're younger, you don't really understand your body, you don't really understand like how important it is to be in the gym. You should just kind of do as you're told. So, right before Japan, I'm like, I'm gonna start experimenting and we'll see. Like, let's hope I'm among the top 10 in Japan. That would be a great achievement. So, and I have like really funny friends and family, they like have no idea what's going on, but they're supporting. Like, you want to go to Japan? Go to Japan. Like, this is so it's just so fun that everyone was supporting me to go, and no one really knew what it was, even I didn't know. But I'm like, let's try it. So going into Japan, I felt like I was ready physically, but again, here in the US, we swim um short course yards. So I honestly hadn't swam meters in probably like five years. So I had no idea how I was gonna swim or what was gonna happen. All I knew was I'm gonna do my best and we'll see how it goes. Um, unfortunately, right before Japan, um, like so the week before Japan, I got the news, I was living in New York, and I got the news that my father passed away in Egypt. And it was very sudden. And at that point, like you kind of don't really know what to do. Like, I'm in New York, I'm supposed to be leaving for Japan in a couple of days. I trained really hard, and my dad was like my number one supporter in swimming. So it was a really confusing thing for me. But and honestly, with grief, there isn't like a right way, like there isn't like, don't go to Japan, that's right, or go to Japan. Like, so I was like, you know what? I'm still gonna go. He was really proud. I'm gonna go and I'll honor him, and it'll be great. And like, not it will be great, but like mentally, I'll try to like honor him in my race. So I fly to Japan. I have zero expectations of what's gonna happen. And it's really interesting because I think that's where swimming shifted in my mind, where like it I realized that it's not just a sport to me, it's so much more than that. Like the fact that this just happened and I'm standing behind the block ready to swim. I remember it was the 100 breaststroke, and I completely shut off all emotions, and I'm like, you know what? I'm just gonna be in this race. And I remember I have really bad reactions. So my reaction was really bad. I was like the last one, like the first 50 going. I was the last one in the heat. And I did my turn and this switch went off. I didn't know I had it. I kicked like there was a new gear that came, and I just was like literally fighting like in the water. I'm like, this is gonna be my race. And I was just like, I I everyone who watched the video, that I have reactions of everyone. Everyone's like, what is happening? Like she's suddenly becoming first. Like, I just kept on getting everyone in the heat and the heat and the heat, and then I hit the wall first, and it was a personal best. And I like I at this moment I like didn't know if I should cry, if I should, I was in like disbelief. I was like, there's absolutely no way that I'm in Japan and all of this happened, and I hit the wall and I got a PV. Like, there's absolutely no way. So this was my introduction to the master's world, like to the international masters meet. And it's just like honestly, it's like obviously it's a sad story. Like, no one wants I don't wish this on anyone, but I think it it like it added something deep inside of me that like I always want to have swimming to fall on because it helped me so much. Like, I didn't know I had this type of mental toughness. I didn't know that I could even switch off my brain. Like, there was no idea I had no idea. So, this was my introduction into masters, and thankfully it's been uphill from there. So it's it's it's been a great experience, like overall.
Danielle Spurling:It's amazing that you were able to channel that into the race and and have such, you know, obviously you would have been grieving and sad, but you were able to focus on the race. You must have such strong sort of mental mindset.
Chantal Naassana:I think swimming teaches you that because like I I've spoken to many swimmers and I always tell them, like, I think us like you push yourself every practice and you push yourself beyond your limit every practice. Like, this is how you know that you're doing what you're doing something that'll eventually get you that PB or get you in shape or get you so I think I think most swimmers develop a mental toughness without realizing it, and it's somehow like this sport, it plays into every single other thing in life. Uh and yeah, I just think it's it I think it set me up for this mental toughness, like the all the years of swimming in that in that point.
Danielle Spurling:And so you went to Fukaoka and you had such success there. What what did you learn from that first international meet that you were able to take into Doha in Singapore?
Chantal Naassana:So I definitely learned more about my body before that. I um like going into Japan, it was a lot of um trial and error, like I'm gonna try this in the gym because I it was all very new. Uh also I was training on my own, so I didn't really have uh like a coach at that point. So going into Doha, I because I had that Japan experience, I knew that first of all, women are fast. So, like if you wanna be among the top 10, like you have to give it 110%. Like, there's uh like you cannot give it less than that. So that was the first thing I learned that like masters is no joke, it's it's it's really competitive and women are really fast. The other thing was uh getting a coach and um kind of learning more about because swimming progressed so much in the last 10 years. And when I was swimming competitively, it was so different. The way you trained was different. The that like I remember when I was younger, if you finished practice like dead and really tired, that's how you knew you had a good practice. Versus now, practices are so much more efficient that, like, yes, you give it to your all, but you don't need to be swimming like a million hours to to get that, um, like uh to improve. So I I really started learning how to train, I started asking more questions, like what should I be doing in the water? Like, why am I doing this? I never understood why I did sets or anything. So definitely going into Doha, I had so much more experience in my swimming practice in the gym. And also for like me personally, um, I started reading books, like for example, uh, and this is like I think when I was younger, it wasn't a big topic, but like female athletes weren't really researched as much. And I started reading about uh there's a book called Roar. I don't know if you know about it, and it talks to you about the female athlete and like how she should train throughout different cycles, what your body is feeling, what you need to. So I just Japan lit the fire, but then Doha and Singapore, I came in with more knowledge about myself and about what I have to do. Like there wasn't an option of like, yeah, let me try this and see how it goes. Like it was more of like, this is what I'm doing. I want to win again, or like I want PB, actually. It's not like most master stewards, it's not about winning, it's about PBs.
Danielle Spurling:PBs, absolutely, and and I think the older you get as well, then it becomes a PB in that new age group because it's very hard then to do something from your very younger self.
Chantal Naassana:Uh, to be honest, I'm I'm actually faster than what I was when I was younger now. Really? That's amazing. Yeah, so I'm really enjoying that. Like, I never thought this was gonna be the case. Like, I turned 30 a month ago, and I was like, There's how am I faster than when I was 17? Like, how is this happening? But I think it's just all the like swimming has become so different. So I'm training so differently.
Danielle Spurling:Yes, and you try you train for 50 to um 100 and 200 breaststroke, is that correct?
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, I mostly train for the 50 and the 100. I'm not I don't love the 200, but I always feel guilty if I don't swim it. So like I hope eventually I'll actually be training for the 200 because like I I actually think it could be my best race, but it requires a lot of like focus, the 200. And it hurts a lot, a lot, yes.
Danielle Spurling:200's a pesky. Um, you mentioned that you you train by yourself. Is that still the case now, or are you with a squad and a coach?
Chantal Naassana:Uh so I've never been with like consistent with a team, just because um I think with masters, like you you can find a really good team, but they they train differently. I think when you're a breaststroker, especially, it's really hard to like find a team that uh has more specific uh training. Um, so I like so Doha and Singapore, I was training with a coach, but he was online. So that definitely required a lot of like discipline because when you train on your own, like it's definitely not about oh. I'm motivated to swim today or not. It's about I'm disciplined. Like I finish work, even if I'm tired, I'm gonna make it to the pool and we'll see how this swim goes. I'll either do the full practice, like nine out of ten times, I do the whole practice, and uh once I'm in the pool, I'm ready for it. But definitely requires a lot of discipline uh when you're training online. Uh and actually, my strength and conditioning coach was also online. Uh, so uh this is this is how I went into Doha and uh Singapore. Wow, that that's amazing.
Danielle Spurling:I mean, I I cannot go to the pool by myself and push. I can get there and get in the water, but to push myself to do the kind of training I do with the squad, um, you know, I really admire that. I don't know how you have the mindset to be able to do it.
Chantal Naassana:I think because I feel like I have to do it. Like I love to I I just love competing. So I like I I can't tell you I enjoy it as much as if I'm another squad. Like I'd I'd hope to find a team at some point and like train with a team because I feel like I'd maybe push myself even more. Like I actually thought so. But I think for now, this is what I was like, this is what I had, and uh I was making the most out of it. And actually, my coach, he's he he's a really, really professional coach. He's been a coach for like 22 years, and like he he's very specific. He's also a sports psychologist. So I think he also helped me like with that mindset of I'm gonna go to practice and I'm gonna be ready for whatever set he has for me.
Danielle Spurling:So when you're actually in the water, how do you stay accountable to the kind of intensity that he wants you to put into a certain set?
Chantal Naassana:I use the pace clock. I try to, I I like every even if I'm warming up, I'm always kind of looking at the pace clock, seeing where I'm at. Uh, he kind of puts guidelines, and I think uh because I think when you're older, you you you become a little bit more experienced in oh, if I'm going this time, then I'm slacking. If I'm going that time, then I'm doing well. Like it you kind of know where you're at. And uh one thing that I really, really liked about the training with my coach is his practices were very, very efficient. Like I would be in the water, the maximum I'd swim is like an hour and a half. So it's get in the water, warm up, do whatever you have to do and get out. Like it's not like two hours of swimming or so many trash miles. It's it's it's really to the point. But with that, you have to be really uh like have a well-rounded, like you have to have your your nutrition needs to be well. You're in the gym, you have to recover because when practices are this efficient, like it's and for first of all, you have to actually do it properly in the water because if it's a short practice and you're like, this is a sprint, oh well, just go 70%, like you're not gonna get to what you have to do. And then also out of the water, you have to hold yourself accountable to everything outside of the water from nutrition to your supplements to your recovery to every single thing.
Danielle Spurling:And because he's an online coach, um, who who's sort of looking at your technique? Do you take videos to send through to him so that he can see what you're doing?
Chantal Naassana:I take videos. Um luckily, so when I was swimming with my first coach in the US, he worked a lot with me on technique. Now he was like on ground, I was uh in his team, so he saw me. So he helped me a lot with my technique. So I think it's like tweaking things. Uh, I try to send videos of like my races usually. Uh, but yeah, we we work, we work with what we have for now. Yes.
Danielle Spurling:And and give us a bit of an insight into your training week. So, how many sessions do you do in the pool and and dry land? And do you do anything else, stretching wise, that kind of thing? What does your week look like?
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, so my training is by no means perfect because as I mentioned, like I just try to stay consistent as possible. But usually I swim five to six times a week. Uh, and then it's kind of done where there's like a a nice, like long uh session on Monday, and then usually uh go into like more sprint and then more pace work, and that's kind of how this, and then the cycle repeats. Uh, I try to be in the gym three to four times a week, and depending on where we are in the season is what I do in the gym. Um I do mostly strength work, but like if we're if we're close to a competition, we start doing more power work, which actually helps a lot. I have I don't have a really good reaction. So the power work in the pool outside of the pool uh is very important to me. I also don't swim in a pool with block starts, so I have to do it in the gym. If like if I don't do it in the gym, I'm not practicing it. Uh and then my recovery is very important. Uh before I started with my coach, I used to really push myself and I didn't focus on recovery. So that would lead into the next week, into the next week. Like I would just start the week really tired and I wouldn't be able to give my all-in practice. So at first, actually, I was taking two days off, so it would be Saturday, Sunday off. But then once my body got used to the training cycle and all of that, I started taking one full day off where like I would either like my gym has compression boots, so I would like use the compression boots or I would get a massage, or it's it's not super consistent how I recover, but I just try to make it a point that there's a day where I'm not swimming, I I'm eating well, but I'm just like not really hard on myself because that's one thing that I had to work on. Is I used to think that like I had to be tired all the time, or like or I'm not doing like it's it was a really negative mindset. Like I had to really work on Chantal, it's fine to recover, like it's okay, like it's it's actually part of training. So I like it's I don't know if this is like uh how the mindset was, like when I was younger. I think that's how that's the general generation mindset. But I think now I learned that if I don't recover, especially with my age getting older, I will not get the full effect of the practice or the week.
Danielle Spurling:Hey swim talkers. If you love the show, consider becoming a Torpedo Swim Talk supporter. You'll get exclusive workouts, early episode drops, and then shout out on the pod. Join the Swim Talkers community. The links in the show notes. That that's a bit that's a big week that you've just explained. And obviously, you're holding down a full-time job as well. What do you do in your professional life?
Chantal Naassana:Uh I'm a financial analyst and I also coach on the side. Um, I have a pretty packed week, but I fuel on doing more. Like if I don't have something to do, I go crazy. So I don't know. Like, I don't know when it's gonna slow down, but this is kind of how I feel. Like I just love being busy. Yeah. And how often do you coach each week? I coach twice a week and uh I coach masters, so it's not like as intense as uh a youth team or anything, but it's just so fun because because I love this sport so much, I just love to I love to have people like I have people who like didn't know how to swim and now they're they're learning and or like uh couples that like uh they want to start doing something new together, and so they choose swimming. So it's it's like the coaching is like the funnest part of the week proper probably for me. Just I love sharing my sport with people. What uh what what uh team do you work with? Uh so here in the US we have uh like a chain, a gym chain called Lifetime. And uh so it's like all it started in Minnesota, but it's all all over different states. So I coach with Lifetime Gym.
Danielle Spurling:Okay, and that's a specific master's squad.
Chantal Naassana:Uh yes, so uh like the it's it's different to every branch, but yeah, it's it's mostly under lifetime fitness. I think that's what some masters sometimes they compete under it. I think I'm not 100% sure.
Danielle Spurling:So when when you race, what team do you compete under?
Chantal Naassana:I compete uh so in the US I compete with uh my New York team, so that's Agua. Uh I'm with them for like a year and a half, and we do do really fun relays and stuff. So I always try to like like I always try to go to their meets. Uh but then when I swim internationally, I love swimming with Team Egypt just because like I that's where the dream started, that's where I learned how to swim, and it's so fun. Like when I got a PB or something, like everyone back home is rooting for like it's just uh it there's a warmth to it. So I think I'd always want to compete with Team Egypt.
Danielle Spurling:So at the worlds, do Team Egypt all swim as one country, not as individual clubs? Is that how it works?
Chantal Naassana:Unfortunately not. So we swim as clubs. We at some point we were all hoping to like swim as like one, but I think it's really hard to I don't know if Australia does this, but I I think like I've only seen Russia do this. I think Team Russia is the only uh team that all swims under one. I think I'm actually not 100.
Danielle Spurling:We don't we don't do it in Australia either. Um or even even in states. I think some sometimes in America, some some swimmers that I've spoken to before, they represent their state at sort of nationals or something like that.
Chantal Naassana:Yes, yes. I think they um I think sometimes they do that. Um or like you you swim under their like like they all swim under one club. I I think I'm not very familiar to to be honest, but yeah, Masters is huge in the US. I think it's I think it's as big in Australia though. I think the US and Australia are really comparable.
Danielle Spurling:It it is big in Australia, but obviously we don't have as many members. I think nationally we've maybe got between six or seven thousand members, but and the US is something like sixty thousand people, I think. So it's huge.
Chantal Naassana:It is, yeah. It's so fun. Yeah.
Danielle Spurling:Do you do you get to other than the meets you go to um with the Aqua New York group, do you swim any competitions sort of like do you swim US nationals, short course nationals?
Chantal Naassana:Yes, I've been to two uh short course nationals. I have yet to go to a long course national one, but it's always at the same time as uh as women.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, why do they do that?
Chantal Naassana:I actually have no idea, and uh every time I talk to anyone who went to the long course, like um uh nationals, they were like, we really wanted to do both, but we had to choose one. And obviously, like traveling all the way to Singapore, it's easier to travel to like a different state, but I don't know why they do that. I also think uh uh US masters is so big that some people don't need to go to like an international meet, like they they enjoy it so much that like it's it's enough for them. Um, so I also realize that like I don't think everyone is as interested in in an international meet, or maybe because they're so far too.
Danielle Spurling:Yes, yeah, there wasn't as many Americans obviously in Singapore. I I did Montreal in 2014, and there was mainly Americans and Canadians, obviously, because it's so close.
Chantal Naassana:Exactly, yeah. So I think it's a proximity, and especially with them having like the US long course masters uh uh going on at the same time. Um I'm sure they're like, we'll just go to that because it's uh what is it like a two-hour plane ride versus uh across the world?
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, it's a lot a lot further to get to. And how about how about um going back a little bit to the mental side of things? Are you a big sort of supporter of doing like visualization of your races before you swim them?
Chantal Naassana:Actually, uh the one race that I really have to visualize before doing is the 200. Um I actually I I used to I stopped more than once. Like at Japan Worlds in the 200, I stopped after 100. So like it's it's I don't know, it mentally does something to me. I actually don't know what it is. So this is the one race where ever since I stopped in Japan, I try to visualize it like anytime I have a meet or anytime I'm training for it, I visualize it. The other one that I like to visualize is the 50 because 50 for me is also really hard. Um, I know I have the speed, but because like my start isn't great and my like I don't really work on my finish, so I try to visualize that too. Uh I I I I I think visualizing is very important for swimming.
Danielle Spurling:And you mentioned the pool that you train at doesn't have starting blocks. So, yes, you can work on the leg strength in the gym, but where do you where do you get to practice that's the those sort of skills?
Chantal Naassana:I try to go to different pools, but uh I've yet to I've yet to find a pool that uh just because I work in the morning and and I a lot of pools like they have starts, but you you can't really use it unless you're with a team or it's for safety reasons. So I've yet to find it. So I think that's one of the reasons why I think I like when I when someone asks me like what's next, what's next? I'm like, I'm still gonna get PVs because uh there's so much that I haven't practiced yet. So I'm like, maybe if I practice my start, I'll get a PV. So I've yet to work on these things, like these skills. I have to, I have to be more um focused on finding a pool or like even like because they make such a big difference. So I've yet to find one.
Danielle Spurling:And do you find a big difference in your stroke rate between your 50, your 100, and your 200? Like, what's the the spread of stroke rates there?
Chantal Naassana:The 200 and the 100 for sure. Uh but for me, my stroke is really long that even when I sprint, I can't uh make my I would rather make my stroke more efficient and more powerful than faster. I don't if I if I try to go fast, I lose a sense of the water. So between the 100 and the 50, there there is there is a little bit of a difference, but it's not a huge difference. The 200 is definitely, and that's why I think I can do better because with my longer strokes, I think uh I I perform much better and with more power when it's longer. So the 100 and 200 for sure, there's difference, and that's why in my training cycle there's a sprint day, and then there's a AFAP day, which is like um pace day that I that I work on the 200, which is like it could be like 850s and then dropping the time, or like uh it's always like some sort of pace work so that I I still remember the the the stroke rate and the 200 and and the pace of the 200.
Danielle Spurling:Do you only train breaststroke or do you train the other strokes as well?
Chantal Naassana:I only train breaststroke, uh, but at uh Singapore actually I put the 50 feet for uh sorry, 50 butterfly for fun, and uh I hadn't swam it probably since I was like 13 years old, so I I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, it like didn't go great, but I I just had so much fun with it that I was like maybe I'll start training butterfly. Like, I need to start doing something other than breaststroke because there's so much pressure on the breaststroke that sometimes I just don't want to do it, so yeah. I would I I try to do also some freestyle because my freestyle needs a lot of work, so when I can't do breaststroke, I do freestyle, but I'm hoping to do butterfly.
Danielle Spurling:Do you use a lot of um training aids with your breaststroke in training? Like, do you I mean, obviously, hard to use fins when you're doing breaststroke kick, but do you use paddles, pool boy, parachutes?
Chantal Naassana:Uh I use a parachute. Uh sometimes actually, my my uh coach uh made me like uh, you know, these car sponges, like these sponges where like it's it's a sponge and you tie a rope and then you put it around your waist. So it's like a sort of a parachute, but it's not as intense as a parachute. I use that with breaststroke because um for me the parachute is a little bit too heavy uh to do breaststroke with, but that's actually one of my most important uh pieces of equipment. Like uh on sprint days, it's always a parachute set, and then I go into like a sprint set, which is either the same thing or different. Um, I do use um, I actually use fins a lot of the time because uh doing like uh flutter kick or uh uh but uh dolphin kick with my stroke, I think that also helps me work on a faster stroke rate with that. And and uh and you can go really fast, obviously, when you're doing like when you're wearing fins with that. So uh before uh competitions, I I usually use the parachute and fins. These are like my top two.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, I agree with you. With the with the traditional parachute, it does pull the body into a different position. So it sounds like you've come up with something that's um that's really good. If you just wear that around your waist, you're still getting that extra drag, but it's not altering your body position.
Chantal Naassana:Exactly. And it's literally like a thin rope, so it's it's not getting the in the way of uh of how you're kicking or anything, it's just dragging you, which is what we want the parachute to do.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, and doesn't it feel great when you take it off and you get to sprint?
Chantal Naassana:Oh my god, yes, I feel like I'm flying. I'm like this is the best feeding ever, I'm the fastest swimmer in the world.
Danielle Spurling:So, what have you got coming up on the on the competition horizon? Obviously, we don't have worlds in 2026. What what's on your plan for next year?
Chantal Naassana:So, right before Singapore, I think I over-trained a little bit. So uh getting out of Singapore, uh, and we can talk about this like uh next, but uh it wasn't exactly what I wanted, Singapore. Like I'm really proud of myself, I'm really proud of everything, but it wasn't what I expected. So I kind of reset after Singapore. Um I actually um I took some time off. I was I'm still in the pool, but I'm not like going as hard on myself. And I think I I plan to like get back and fully into it uh start like right after like the holiday season. And then I know that there is one competition in uh um in Abu Dhabi in uh 2026 since in February, that uh if if I can if I'm if I feel that I'm ready for it, I'll go because that's a good opportunity to swim long course meter without the stress of it being a world's championship. Like I think in 2026 I want to do as many long course meter meets as I can. Uh obviously it's really hard to find these in the US, so I don't know like budget-wise and schedule-wise with work how I can do it, but I that's definitely the biggest thing because one thing that I if hopefully I can go to Budapest in 2027, that's one thing that I want to be prepared for. Like, I I wanna swim in long course meters, I wanna know what I'm capable of, I wanna know if I'm improving. I don't wanna like I think Japan, Doha, and uh Singapore, I didn't know how the race was gonna. To go because I didn't swim long course meters, so that's like at the top of my list is find as many long course meter meets as you can.
Danielle Spurling:What's what's the meat in Abu Dhabi? Is that a master's games?
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, it's a master's game. I can't remember what exactly it's called. It's at the start of February. Um, I think it's just called Abu Dhabi Games. Um I I I the name of the meat completely I forgot about it, but the Egyptians are going because it's so close to Egypt. So they brought it up, and I'm like, if if I can go and if I'm training, like that's another long course meet that I can start the season with.
Danielle Spurling:Well, hopefully you'll get US nationals long course next year.
Chantal Naassana:Yes, yes, because that's uh there's no world, so maybe this year.
Danielle Spurling:And you've just you mentioned you just turned 30, so you're moving into new age group. Um, how how strong is that age group in the US? Um, sort of locally.
Chantal Naassana:Uh I haven't checked in the US yet because I haven't done a US meet yet. Um in the masters uh worlds, it is really fast. Very, very fast, yes. And I don't know if people get fast. I think maybe people come back to swimming in the like 2029, so it's a little bit easier, but I think by 30 we're like all ready to go. Like we know what masters is, we understand our body, and we're ready to be fast. So I don't think they're the slow age group in Masters, honestly. But yeah, people are really fast, and uh it was really funny because in Singapore, uh, because I I like I was turning 30 in 2025, so I saw a lot of my friends that are still in the 25, 29 age group, and I was like, like it was really funny because we all competed in Doha, and then everyone's like, we're coming to you next time, and I'm like, okay, I'm ready. Like it's just really fun, like the like we're all really competitive, but it's just like really fun banter that we all have, and and I think like Singapore, everyone says Singapore was hard, and I think Budapest is gonna be even harder. Like, I think it's more difficult.
Danielle Spurling:Yes, I think that um obviously a lot of Europeans will will go to Budapest and probably a lot of Americans, and it will be strong competition.
Chantal Naassana:Yes, yes, yeah, but that that's what makes it fun, right?
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, that's what makes it fun, and also it's a good goal, it's a great goal. I know myself, if I didn't have something like that sort of penciled in, I would pull back in my training big time.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, for sure. And that's why like me taking time off now. I'm like, I need to put things on the schedule because it's very easy to rest and stay rested.
Danielle Spurling:Yes, yeah, it's it's not about motivation so much, it's it's about um the discipline and the routine of going. And then like we all go through days of not wanting to train, yeah. But if you've got that sort of appointment with yourself to get yourself to the pool or to the gym, I think that's half the half the battle. It's consistency.
Chantal Naassana:I fully agree, and that's why when you ask me about my training plan, I'm like, I just try to be consistent, like that's number one. If I'm tired, I'm still gonna go to the pool. And if it's 10 minutes that I swim, it's better than swimming, nothing, like going home. And I think it's just building habits. And I think once you build that habit, you uh form consistency. Like, I I don't know if you're familiar with the book called Atomic Habits, and it actually tells you like that's where I got the idea of even if it's 10 minutes, still go to the gym. Because in the book it said, like, even if it's five minutes, make it a point to go to the gym, and that's what I did. And and now, even if I'm really tired, I'm still there, I'm still in the water, I'm still in the gym. Like, it's my body automatically knows that before work I'm in the gym, and after work, I'm in the pool.
Danielle Spurling:Like, I know it's that's fantastic. I mean, I I feel like your story is really inspirational, Chantelle. And I feel like lots of people around the world are going to listen to this and be really inspired. And a lot of people think they can't do it if they don't have the perfect conditions, but you've just shown us that you actually you can do that, and you can do it by yourself, but with some help from you know, some online coaches and and whatever. So, I mean, I hope that you you can finally, you know, at some point in the future find a group that you can swim with because that I think that'll help you as well.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, thank you.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah. Now, everyone that comes on the podcast, I love to ask them the deep dive five. So just give me a bit of a the first answer that pops into your head. What is your favorite set that you like to do at training?
Chantal Naassana:I don't think I have a favorite set per se, but I love uh sets where I start off wearing the parachute and then it's like a sprint where it's like a broken hundred or a broken 200, and you just need to fly and and do it as fast as you can. So broken 100, you'd break it at the 20 each 25? Uh break I usually like to do 25, 50, 25. I see.
Danielle Spurling:And how much rest would you take in your broken 100 with your parachute on?
Chantal Naassana:Uh five seconds.
Danielle Spurling:Okay.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, five seconds.
Danielle Spurling:At at the end, how do you do a recovery swim or do you just rest passively at the end of the pool?
Chantal Naassana:Usually when I do broken 100s, it's like an on an open rest. You just try to get your heart rate at a good place and then you go again.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah. So would you just do one broken 100 with the parachute and then take it off and do uh one without?
Chantal Naassana:Yes. And then you'd like repeat that set like three times, four times, how however, wherever we are in the season.
Danielle Spurling:Yes. Oh, that's a good one. And what about your favorite breaststroke drill?
Chantal Naassana:I I like basics, I like the one uh one stroke, three kicks. That's like my favorite one. It's like the big most basic one, but I enjoy it so much. What do you enjoy about that?
Danielle Spurling:What is it, what does it make you feel like in the water?
Chantal Naassana:I I just when I swim, I love to feel long, and I think like doing that stroke and waiting and then doing your next kick and getting long again. I just there's something about feeling long and tall in the water that I just love feeling that way. And and obviously the power you get from the kick, it's just like all around, like a really great feeling.
Danielle Spurling:That's good. I I will have to take your word for that because I cannot swim breaststroke at all. So I I understand and I see other people doing it, and it looks lovely.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, but I would say give it a try. Once you do it, you'll enjoy it.
Danielle Spurling:How about your favorite pool that you've ever swum in?
Chantal Naassana:I actually I think it's the my first worlds, the Japan pool. Uh, that was really cool for me. Just like the uh starting with like the multiple call rooms and then swimming where like the elite swimmers swam. I think it's just the coolest thing ever.
Danielle Spurling:I think that was the that was the excitement I had in Singapore as well. Just the fact that just the week before I'd seen them all on TV at that pool, and then I was swimming at that pool, and that that main pool was absolutely beautiful to swim in.
Chantal Naassana:Really was. Um there's something about there was like the fastest people in the world swimming in this lane. Like, surely I can go half as fast as they did. Surely I can do it.
Danielle Spurling:That's right. How about your favorite um pre-race meal? What do you like to eat?
Chantal Naassana:I love peanut butter and jam. It's like my favorite pre-race meal. I've been eating it since I was a kid, and I think subconsciously, it's like a part of the ritual. Like I have to have a peanut butter and jam sandwich before any race.
Danielle Spurling:That's a good one. I also like peanut butter and jam. Yeah, it's nice. Yeah, it's the sweet, the sweet and the salt.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, and I think it's something about being at a meet, like you you kind of turn into like a child or like your your younger self and eating that sandwich too, it's like so nostalgic, and you just get into such a like uh young mood, I think, for the reading.
Danielle Spurling:Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. And for me, it's also if I'm at a swim meet and I smell um dank rub. Do you know what danker rub is? It always reminds me of when I swam when I was a little kid, and everyone would put dankerab on or goan oil, which is a strong-smelling sort of thing that they use for massages. It always reminds me of childhood swimmates.
Chantal Naassana:Is it similar to like deep heat?
Danielle Spurling:Yes, it's similar to deep heat. Yes, yeah, that kind of smell.
Chantal Naassana:Yeah, yeah.
Danielle Spurling:How about your most admired swimmer, past or present?
Chantal Naassana:I actually don't think I have like one admired swimmer. I think I any swimmer that shows really high sportsmanship to me is like I admire them. Like I just love sportsmanship. Like I love swimmers who like it, like if they're really fast or if they win a race, I just I love it when they all come together and like, for example, like hug after a race or like uh cheer each other on. So I don't think I have one particular swimmer, but I think that's one thing that I that always stands out when I watch like uh the elite on on TV uh I that's what catches, I admire all uh anytime.
Danielle Spurling:Yes, yeah, no, I I also it's hard to just pick out one when there's so many great um performances happening all the time. And I think, you know, um I I love all our Australian swimmers, but there's so many swimmers across the world that I really admire as well. Well, Chantel, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. It's been lovely hearing about your story and um and your passion. You can tell that you have such a passion for master swimming. So um thank you very much.
Chantal Naassana:Thank you so much. I enjoyed it so much, and it's such an honor to be here.
Danielle Spurling:Oh no, not at all. It's great to have you. Okay, well, take care, and hopefully we'll catch up at the next uh worlds in Budapest.
Chantal Naassana:Yes, hopefully. Thank you so much.
Danielle Spurling:Okay, bye.
Chantal Naassana:Thank you, Bob.
Danielle Spurling:Thanks for tuning in to Torpedo Swim Talk, the podcast celebrating swimmers at every stage. If you enjoyed this chat, hit follow or subscribe on your favorite platform and give us a quick review. It goes a long way to helping more swimmers find the show. Until next time, happy swimming and bye for now.