On today’s show, I jumped into the deep end with 10-year-old competitive swimmer Gabriel Brown from Greenfield, Indiana.

Gabe is the No. 1 ranked 10-year-old swimmer in the United States, has climbed the National Age Group rankings, and has set multiple Indiana 10-and-under records.

We talk through Gabe’s training routine, including swimming two hours a day six days a week, plus five additional weekly workouts. Gabe explains why he avoids early morning practices to protect his sleep and how he balances training with friends. He also shares key moments that fueled his motivation: earning his first state cut at age seven, hitting zone cuts at eight, beating a top backstroker, and becoming the youngest athlete to win High Point through consistency. 

Gabe then covers his short- and long-term goals, including chasing a 10-and-under National Age Group Record by the end of the season, aiming to qualify for Olympic Trials as early as age 12, and eventually swimming at IU while pursuing American and world records.

He also discusses switching to online school at the start of the year to create more time for workouts, his go-to foods, favorite swimmer, and favorite Indiana spots like the Natatorium.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:

• What It Takes to Train as America’s Top 10-Year-Old Swimmer

• How State, Zone, and All-Star Qualification Works in Youth Swimming

• Goals for National Records, Olympic Trials, and IU

Check out these great clips from the show:
00:29 Guest Introduction: Gabriel Brown, 10-Year-Old Swim Phenom 
01:42 Training Like a Champion
03:21 11 Workouts a Week
04:27 The Switch Flips
05:23 How National Rankings Work
06:02 Breaking Down the Backstroke, Free, IM, and Pool Formats
07:16 Rules, Referees, and Getting DQ’d
08:10 Swim Lessons at 3, Competitive at 6, State at 7
08:54 First Big Win & High Point
12:08 Motivation & Mindset
12:50 Faster Than Phelps at 10?
14:06 Other Sports, State Titles, and Racing Psychology
17:47 Favorite Events & Selling Swimming to Kids
19:58 Chasing Age Group Records
20:46 Switching to Online School for Training
22:01 Race-Day Fuel
22:56 Coolest, Coldest, & Fastest Pools
24:33 Big Dreams
26:30 How Close Are the All-Time 10U Records?
28:19 Mid-Distance Mindset + Favorite Swimmer
29:59 Life Outside the Pool
32:45 All Things Indiana
35:04 Advice, Where to Track Records, and Socials