Authors, Speakers & Performance Coaches Interviews Episodes

Ever wonder what separates an average swim lane or team from a championship-level squad? Culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s the way your team operates on an ordinary Wednesday morning when you're staring at the black line and nobody is trying to be inspirational. In this episode, we sit down with Greg Clink, 3-time Coach of the Year in basketball, who's a leadership expert, to put a real definition around “championship culture” and make it completely usable for Masters swimmers, coaches, an...

Fewer than 50 people on the planet have completed the Oceans Seven Challenge. Putting that in perspective over 7,000 people have summited Mt. Everest , Steve “Moby” Leitch is one swim away from being in such an elite club. You can train for months and still get humbled in minutes when the ocean decides to change the rules. After swimming the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa, elite endurance athlete, Steve “Moby” Leitch, joins us to break down what makes ultra marathon open water swimmin...

We talk with Chris Harris, the Warrior Maker, an elite athlete, author and speaker, who has trained Navy Seals, Green Berets and professional athletes to have tough mindsets. He says it's about mastering the space between stimulus and response so pressure will stop running your life. We break down metacognition, subconscious habit change, and race ready mindset tools that help master swimmers stay resilient and perform on purpose. • Chris’s turning point from homelessness to a mission of “sendi...

Doubt shows up for everyone, even the most decorated athletes. We invited bestselling author and two-time TEDx speaker Simone Knego to break down a simple, durable system for building confidence that actually holds under pressure. Her REAL method—respect yourself, embrace your failures, ask yourself what you want, and live without limits—turns confidence from a fuzzy feeling into a daily practice you can train like endurance, breath control, or pacing. We start by redefining self-respect as the...

Sirens at night, blocks at dawn—this conversation follows Che'Rel, a 26-year-old police officer and lifelong swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago, as she threads two demanding worlds into one life of discipline and joy. We meet her on deck at Nova Masters in Richmond, fresh off a night shift, and explore how race-pace sets, team culture, and a stubborn sprinter’s mindset help her keep purpose front and center. Che'Rel walks us through the pivot from childhood education to policing, the reality o...

THIS EPISODE WON A 2024 VEGA DIGITAL GOLD AWARD BEST SINGLE PODCAST INTERVIEW. What is an aquatic activist? What Hasna Muhammad is doing to encourage the hugely under represented Black Women Swimmers? Then dive headfirst into an episode that promises to saturate your spirit with inspiration and courage as we're joined by the extraordinary Hasna Muhammad. Besides being a passionate masters swimmer, Hasna is a visual artist, writer, and educator whose work focuses on family, social justice, educat...

We're elated to introduce one of Team USA's Sports Psychologist, Dr Colleen Hacker, a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC), author, and professor. Dr. Hacker uncovers the keys to achieve excellence in sports and life. This enlightening conversation is rooted in her latest book, Achieving Excellence Mastering Mindset for Peak Performance in Sport and Life. How often do we consider confidence as a dynamic entity, especially for world champions? Dr Hacker challenges our underst...

We sit down with our very own Maria Parker, co-host of the Champions Mojo podcast and author of the incredible book, Do Tough. Prepare to be inspired by Maria's book launch and the powerful story of winning the Race Across America (RAAM) while grappling with the devastating loss of her sister, Jenny, to brain cancer. Together, we explore the concept of Maria's book, what readers will learn and much more. As always you'll have insights, inspiration and takeaways! What sets Do Tough apart is the ...

Kelly and Maria give you 22 Takeaways from 2022 To Ring In Your New Year. They share the best nuggets from experiences and interviews with champions throughout the year. Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns. You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

3 minutes to relieve your anxiety from wellness and high performance coach Nordine Zouareg, author of the book Inner Fitness. This clip is a flashback from the full episode which you can find here: https://www.championsmojo.com/episodepage/nordinezouareg127?rq=nordine Nordine Zouareg is a French-American fitness personality, high-performance coach and author who has won Mr. France, Mr. Europe, Mr. World and Mr. Universe. He was a sickly infant, with a birth weight of two pounds. Poor health pla...

In this quick flashback, Desmond Dunham, as he’s known to many, Coach Dez, asks us a powerful question that will inspire you! Coach Dez is a nationally-renowned running coach, mentor, Under Armour Coach Ambassador and the author of the newly released book, Running Against the Odds. Coach Dez is a nationally acclaimed track and field and cross-country coach who has been teaching, mentoring and coaching in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area for over two decades. He’s also the founder of Kids ...

Need a quick confidence boost? This nugget of mojo from World-class confidence coach to multiple olympians, Christen Shefchunas, will do the trick! Christen Shefchunas is a professional Confidence Coach who works with athletes who are Olympians, World Champions and NCAA All Americans, as well as high school athletes. As a former Division I head coach, Christen watched too many women miss out on their potential because of their lack of confidence. Realizing that there was a significant lack of r...

Jeff Commings keeps defying age as a Masters Swimmer. We learn his secrets and hear some of the best taper advice out there for Masters. Jeff has been involved in swimming since his college days at the University of Texas at Austin. He won many awards during his time there and was an Olympic trials qualifier. His passion and drive for swimming are relentless and keep him performing on a world-class level. We learn about his training routine, how he tapers from an intense training block, why it i...

Are you coachable in life? Being able to level up and live your life’s true purpose takes focused listening, vulnerability and self-reflection, according to performance coach and former D1 swim coach Steve Mellor. He joins the podcast to talk about his recent switch in careers, how therapy improved his outlook and continues to improve his life, and why incorporating a life coach is so valuable. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Mari...

We have a responsibility to share our struggles with others -- even the most tragic. A Masters swimming gem. Keynote speaker and author Karen Allen joins the podcast to talk about how the still-unsolved murder of her husband drives the work she does today to help others embrace the “beauty in the mess” of their lives. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com. ...

How has adversity inspired your success? Renowned cross-country coach Desmond Dunham, known to his athletes as Coach Dez, joins the podcast to talk with Kelly and Maria about how he turned pain in his childhood into a passion for mentorship. He talks about the lessons in his new book, Running Against the Odds, and how coaching is one way he gives back to the community. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/c...

Do you realize what a gift this ONE life truly is? How do you find your self worth and overcome life's challenges to enjoy that gift? How do you improve at Masters Swimming? Wellness and high performance coach Nordine Zouareg, author of the book Inner Fitness, talks with Kelly and Maria about how he overcame physical challenges and anxiety in his childhood to become a world-renowned bodybuilder -- and how he continues to motivate others today through his books and coaching. Nordine Zouareg is...

Can you be afraid and confident at the same time? Confidence Coach Christen Shefchunas believes that you cannot reach a confident point without first facing your fears. She joins the show to talk to Kelly and Maria about how she coaches female athletes, and other clients, to confident outcomes. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com. MORE ABOUT CHRISTEN SHEFC...

How does a person face, and overcome, their worst fears? How can you face your own stories about yourself -- and change them for the better? Peak performance coach Brian Bergford faced a lifelong fear of having his head submerged in water at the age of 30, when he decided to confront it. Today he is a record-setting Masters swimmer and he joins the show to share his journey with Kelly and Maria -- along with tips for listeners on confronting fears. Sign up for your free consultation on health, ...

Find out about Kelly's new best selling book on this show. Leading yourself and others successfully takes authenticity, grit, and intent coupled with action. Champion’s Mojo host Kelly Palace shares 10 actionable tips in her book Take Your Mark, LEAD! 10 Ways to Lead Yourself and Others Like a Champion, which is now available in print, ebook and on audiobook. In this episode, she and co-host Maria Parker talk about the motivation behind the book, the champion interviews inside it and the ma...

Almost everything we want comes through other people and the best leaders know this principle: You can’t be a leader without others. Influencing others begins by connecting, and in order to do that, you must take an interest in them. Today’s episode explores Dale Carnegie’s timeless values and principles from his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, with some updated ideas and tips relevant to 2021. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly o...

When you are organized with your time and your physical space, your energy is freed up for more cerebral, creative pursuits. Organization can also reduce stress and anxiety, leading to greater harmony at home, at work and beyond. Tune in to hear 10 tips from Kelly and Maria on organizing your life for greater Zen. Sign up for your free consultation on health, leadership and life coaching with Kelly or Maria at ChampionsMojo.com/cm-coaching. Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com. Episo...

Character strengths and their importance, which were founded by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman, are the most positive part of your personality that impact how you think, feel and behave. Knowing your own character strengths -- and specifically your top five character strengths -- can help you maximize their use in your life, benefiting yourself and others. Kelly and Maria share how to find your top five character strengths and several examples of how to use them to succeed. Sign up fo...

Positivity is a muscle, developed with practice and discipline. Gold medalist Paralympic swimmer and World Record Holder McKenzie Coan, who has broken 65 bones, joins the show to share with Kelly and Maria her strategies for positivity, training and success. McKenzie has Brittle Bone disease and after listening to her interview you’ll be raised up by this Champion’s gratitude and view on life! Though her bones are more breakable because of her disease, her spirit seems utterly unbreakable. Sign...