Latest / The Standard / From Ukraine Immigrant to Olympic Gold — The Power of Perseverance | Ep. 58 Lenny Krayzelburg

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From Ukraine Immigrant to Olympic Gold — The Power of Perseverance | Ep. 58 Lenny Krayzelburg · The Standard

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: Excellent.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: Good afternoon, team.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Standard Podcast where we raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and call out the lies or misconceptions that nobody else will.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: This isn't motivation.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: This is a movement.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Thomas Rowe, joined by my host, Aaron Charles, and today I'm super excited.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: We're sitting down with a four-time Olympian, Lenny Kraselberg.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Again, four-time Olympic gold medalist, former world record holder and backstroke, and current general manager of LA Current, an international swimming league.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny's story is one of the most powerful immigration and perseverance narratives in sports.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, I might get this wrong.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: Born Leonid Ovesh Kreiselberg in Odessa, Ukraine in 1975.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny and his family left the Soviet Union in 1989 when he was 14 years old, settling in Los Angeles with nothing but hope and determination.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: What happened next defines resilience.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: Lenin's family faced severe financial difficulties.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: He had to commute by bus and on foot 45 minutes each way to swimming practice, not getting home before 9.30 in the evening.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: On top of the physical challenges, Lenny had to overcome language barriers, rapidly learning English to understand his coach's instructions.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: But here's what makes Lenny's character.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: Instead of letting those obstacles defeat him, he used them as fuel.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: He attended Fairfax High School and Santa Monica College, where he swept the backstroke titles.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: In 1995, he became a naturalized U.S.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: citizen, and by 1998, he had become the first swimmer since 1986 to sweep both backstroke events at the World Championships.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: In 1999, Lenny broke world records in the 50, 100, and 200 meter backstroke, establishing himself as the greatest backstroker in the world.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: At the 2000 Olympics, he dominated his events, winning three individual gold medals and helping Team USA to a fourth gold in the relay.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Perhaps what makes the perhaps what's telling about Lenny's character, in 2001, he chose to skip the world championships to compete in the Macabah Games in Israel, wanting to honor his Jewish heritage and fulfill a childhood dream of visiting the Holy Land.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: He carried the American flag in the opening ceremony.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Today, Lenny continues to shape the swimming as a GM of LA Current, developing the next generation of U.S.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: swimmers and professional league format.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: We're diving into the truth, what it really takes to build identity, discipline, and legacy in sports and in life.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get into it.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, this is awesome.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for joining us.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: We really appreciate it.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely, Thomas.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_02: There's a great bio, great intro here.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: I could have forgot about it, but thank you.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: Appreciate it.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: We could literally just stop the podcast right now because just your accolades speak for themselves.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: So you immigrated from Odessa and then in Ukraine to Los Angeles at the age of 14 with your family.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: You faced financial struggles, 45-minute commute that I had mentioned to get to practice, language barriers, and went on to become a four-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: What does raising the standard mean to you having lived through that type of adversity?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_02: Well, listen, for me, it's it's always been about understanding that life is in, you know, a straight line and you're gonna have uh ups and downs and challenges.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, growing up in in Soviet Union and encountering a lot of anti-Semitism and a lot of also struggles living under communist culture, you kind of understand how to build thick skin and you understand what what it takes in terms of perseverance and not giving up.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: And really, my parents brought us, I have a younger sister, to America for better life and more opportunities.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: Ultimately, they made the the greatest of sacrifices is you know uprooting the family and uh changing their lives so that it's better for their children.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_02: And they brought us to America and to the land of opportunities.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I really, you know, took a lot of pride and and dedication and and and appreciation to my parents for making the sacrifice and you know try to make the best out of it, and ultimately, you know, through all ups and downs through the journey of life and all the experiences, I was able to persevere and succeed at the highest level.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Well, clearly, clearly.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: And what do you think is the biggest lie that you feel the culture of college athletics or Olympic athletics has told athletes about adversity barriers and what it really takes to overcome circumstances that seem impossible?
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you know, I I I don't I I don't think in our in in college sports today and also in professional sports and Olympic sports, there is enough, there isn't enough time spent talking with athletes about life and obstacles of life and preparing them for, you know, for challenges that come, you know, just being a human being and living in this society.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's really important that we think about that and and we put more emphasis on that because you can be great in your an athletic field, and but if something goes haywire in your in life, then how does that affect your performance in the pool or on the basketball court or in the football field?
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_02: So I think there needs to be more education, more conversation, especially especially conversations, conversations with you know people like me that have kind of experienced ups and downs, experienced uh life in different cultures.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: So I also think it's really important when you can compare a present environment to your previous life and previous environment.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_02: When you have that perspective, I think it really makes it you just have more tools in your toolbox of how to deal with ups and downs.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: So you had to commute 45 minutes each way to practice, and you didn't get home until 9:30, and you had to learn English quickly to understand the coaches.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: Most people would have quit.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: What was it inside you that refused to let those circumstances to determine your outcome?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: It it it do you know that defining moment when you were in the pool and you're gonna you said, like, when I go to the Olympics and when I dominate the Olympics, this will all be worth it?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Or was it just you know day-to-day grind?
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: Really, uh a lot of it was a day-to-day grind, but it's also part of adjustment, part of living in the new country, part of being grateful of what you have.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Just living, being in America, and to America and having an opportunity to commute 45 minutes to a swim practice.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: It might sound crazy, it might sound hard, but just that opportunity to do so that you so you can pursue your dream is incredibly powerful.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: That's what you know being an immigrant is all about.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: You come to a new land for opportunities to succeed and to make the best of yourself and what's in front of you.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: So I never, although it was hard, I never looked at it as something that would impact my commitment or my dedication to continue to pursue my dreams.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, really it was part of a course because I also saw my parents leaving at six in the morning and they were coming home late in the evening because they had to learn English and work.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: You know, my dad worked at the kitchen at a restaurant first couple of years, making$2 an hour.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_02: So you just see the the struggle and and the and the work ethic that your parents are going through to provide for for the family, and you know, you just kind of align with those principles and those that that attitude, and you you apply it in your own life.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what I did.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we every great athlete that we have interviewed or sat with always has a strong support group around them with coaches, but especially at home.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: Was there a moment when somebody either somebody told you or you just it clicked, you're like, I'm an Olympian, I'm going to the Olympics?
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, there was a moment, you know, I kind of I didn't swim high school because my high school didn't have a swim team.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: I swam in at a club team, but I didn't have, I didn't swim high school.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I wasn't in my teenage years, I was not a a top-level swimmer.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_02: So even uh getting graduating high school and starting college, I didn't get any interest from any universities just because I wasn't good enough to swim in a college team.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: So that's why I ended up going to a community college, Santa Monica College, because that was the only path for me.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: So after my freshman year at that community college, I had an opportunity to train, to go and train at USC, University of Southern California with a with a Trojan Swim Club and the club team there.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: And the head coach is Mark Schubert.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: He was an Olympic coach, has coached many world record holders and Olympians, and was a head coach at the university at that time.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: And he gave me an opportunity to train in the summertime, just really to see if uh if I'm good enough to be in the same pool in the same lane with Division I swimmers.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: And that was in the summer of '94.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_02: After two and a half months, when summer was over, kind of the training phase was done, and he gets me into his office and tells me, Lenny, you know, I think you can be the best backstroker in the world one day, and I'd like to give you full scholarship to UFC.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, obviously it was a very impactful conversation that I I still believe uh has changed the trajectory of my life, and obviously pursuing the path of going to the Olympics one day.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: But really, Mark believed in me, and I told him in that conversation, Mark, you're not gonna be disappointed.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: All I need is an opportunity, and you're giving me that.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: And you took full advantage of it.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: That's from our point.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: That's incredible.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: And at this point, I'm gonna turn it over to Aaron, which is segment two, which is identity and heritage.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron, take it away.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Lenny.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I want our audience to get to know you more on a personal level, well beyond all the accolades that Thomas shared at the beginning of the podcast.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: But just who is Lenny beyond all the gold medals, all the swimming titles, just who are you?
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: Who am I?
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm one of, but uh no, I'm uh I have three daughters.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: So my my twin daughters are actually graduating college next week.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I have a one, she's only eight months, so I got quite a bit of a gap.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um but it's also good because now I have a different perspective on life uh as a parent and how to raise how to raise child kids.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: But at the end of the day, you know, for me it's all about doing things the right way.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: I've always been uh I've always had principles that way.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_02: I've I was raised in a family that always believed in in doing things the right way, and being being honest and being a hard worker, and really leading by example.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_02: And and also being supportive about with people that you interact with that are part of your part of your circle, part of your group, and in general, just being supportive.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: And this is this is who I am.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: It obviously starts at home, being supportive and being there for my children, for my wife, for my family.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_02: It's being supportive in in the work environment.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: I run a large also learn to swim academy for children.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: Our focus is water safety.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: But so we have a lot of staff in our company, over 100 staff.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, for me, it's all about leading by example, being true to who I am, respecting people, respecting their backgrounds, and treating them the way I would want to be treated.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: And it it all starts with respect.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and really that's how I live my life.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: And at the end of the day, if I can, you know, go to sleep at night knowing that I can look in the mirror and know that I've been true to myself and my principles, I'm good with that.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for sharing that, and congratulations to your two twin daughters.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: How exciting, what a milestone.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: So, how I want kind of to honor your heritage, you know, knowing you're an immigrant, how do you balance that history of your past and who you are with, you know, I think the gratitude and the love of coming to America, the opportunities.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like what advice would you give other immigrant athletes?
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I take a lot of pride in my heritage.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, obviously, you know, growing up in Odessa, now it's Ukraine, it used to be Soviet Union, growing up to Jewish with in the Jewish family and Jewish heritage culture is really important to me because that culture talks a lot, puts a lot of emphasis on family values.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_02: It puts a lot of emphasis on on giving back and doing the right thing.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, when I grew up, these are the principles that I grew up with, and this is the only thing that I understand.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I think if you have a really solid foundation and upbringing at home, especially when you're an immigrant, it's really helpful when you get to a new culture, when you come to a new country and you're thrown into a new environment and a new culture, when you can lean into the most fundamental of things, and and they usually tend to be they start at home.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: When you can lean into that, it helps navigate the you know the storms and ups and downs of life and the challenges that come your way.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_02: And then really, as I mentioned previously, it's it's about opportunities.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a great believer of taking advantage of opportunities that are thrown our way.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm also starting to learn this more and more now that any interaction, any situation, any opportunity, there's a meaning behind it.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so if there is, if something comes your way, whether it's good or bad, there's a meaning behind it.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: So really taking it up as so that means when you have great opportunities cover coming one your way, do not take that for granted.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, take it by the horns and run with it.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's kind of the analogy.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, that that's kind of my my thinking and my approach uh to life, and just maybe some you know tips for other immigrant athletes that have are settling in this country and and trying to uh make them the most out of themselves.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that leaning on your foundation, especially if you have a strong one.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: And Thomas already kind of talked a little bit about this, but a little bit a different angle.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what really separates athletes who let their circumstances define them from those who use their circumstances to forge unbreakable character?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Because you faced a lot of adversity, but I mean, it it actually I think helped you excel.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I you know I I am a big believer not to be defined of what your accomplishments are or who you are on the athletic field.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_02: I think you need to be defined of who you are as a person and also be realistic that sports, no matter how great you are, no matter what you are able to accomplish, it only lasts so long.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_02: Eventually, the real world is gonna come your way.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: Whether it's gonna come slow, it's gonna, you know, just overwhelm you like a big wave, but it's coming.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I really think athletes need to understand that part of it and be able to clearly uh separate the athletic path and what you're trying to pursue versus life outside of sports and not not be defined by just being an athlete and doing everything based on being an athlete, but actually separate a path, form interests outside of your athletics, form educate yourself that has nothing to do with with sports, build a network, build friends that are have nothing to do with your athletic path.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_02: Because what it does, it uh it gives you a different avenue to take your mind off of the athletics, and you'll pursue a success in a sports arena.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: And I I think it's really important.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: I did that very well when I was training and competing and pursuing my Olympic dreams.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_02: I, you know, was very focused and obviously had a tunnel vision when I was training.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_02: But when I left the pool, I had a different life.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: I had a circle of friends that had nothing to do with swimming.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_02: I, you know, I had business interests and trying to educate myself that had nothing to do with the sport of swimming.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: And it really helped me to manage my life, especially in the times where maybe we I went to competitions and I didn't do as well as I wanted it, or the training sessions didn't go as the way I planned them to be.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: So this other path really allowed me to manage my emotions, uh, especially during times when things might not have been going as well in you know in a training arena or competition arena.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: God, that's like the best advice I've heard.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: So with that, I'm gonna turn it back over to Thomas for segment three.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: Excellent.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Aaron.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, we're gonna get into segment three, which is excellence in perseverance.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: But before we get into that, something I want to touch on that maybe some of the current swimmers don't really know.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: They kind of think about Marcus Spitz as a distant swimmer, but he was also the Michael Phelps before Michael Phelps.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: He was also a Jewish swimmer, also swam for in Israel, the Macaw Games.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: Have you had a chance to talk to him?
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: Because 1972 Munich was something that was very pivotal for American as well as European athletes.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, I know Mark, obviously, throughout the years.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_02: We've never really had a discussion about his personal experiences in '72 with you know with tragedy, tragedy that happened in Munich with uh Israeli athletes.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: But, you know, I think Mark, with all his success at those games, I think he was pretty sh, you know, he was the star.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: So he was sheltered and sequestered and protected, but really never had actually an opportunity to have that discussion, which actually Thomas, you you you gave me something to think about, and maybe next time I call come across Mark, uh, have that conversation and learn more about what his experiences were, you know, in real in real time.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's just it's so relevant because, you know, without getting too political, we're still dealing with anti-semitism today.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I've always felt like the sports were always remarkable because it was just all about meritocracy.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't care what color you were, we didn't care what faith you had.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: If you could produce and you could excel, then you're welcome by that particular community.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: Did you know that Mark Spitz also swam at the Makabah Games in Israel?
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're they're actually just they're called Macabiya.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: The games.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I didn't know that.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: I am Mark's lemon bills games, and I know that uh to mark the Jewish heritage was really important.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, the games are incredibly important for the state of Israel because it brings Jews from all around the world up to celebrate sports, athletics, the Jewish heritage, and of course uh Israel.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: Right so these are the these are great games, they happen every four years, uh like the Olympics do.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_02: They usually follow next year after the Olympic Games.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's uh when I went there in 2001, it was very special and important for me for my Jewish heritage to be there and to participate.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, Thomas, I agree with you.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: I uh you know, you'd hope, and I still, you know, maybe I'm naive, but I do believe that sports kind of, you know, it it creates this even feel that it doesn't matter who you are, what heritage you come from, what color skin you have, you know, if you can perform on the athletic field, you know, that that's the the fairest and and the best way to you know judge who who is the best.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: And and also listen, sports bring people to together, bring cultures together.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: Nothing better than uh actually the Olympic Games.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_02: This is this is uh one global event that brings most people from most countries around the world, and you know.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: As an Olympian, being in the Olympic village, walking into a cafeteria that holds 10,000 athletes, and you see people from every walk of every part of the world interacting, sitting together, enjoying the experience.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's an incredibly powerful statement that sports really does change lives and transforms global interaction, global advance, and unity.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: No doubt.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I do believe that you can take a country from South America, you could take a country from Europe, and you could put them on a soccer pitch.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: They don't have to speak the same language, but they speak the language of soccer, and that's what just makes it magical.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: In 1999, you broke the world records in the 50, the 100, the 200-meter backstroke, establishing yourself as the greatest backstroker in the world.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: But the road there wasn't typical.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: You went through Santa Monica College and financial struggles and took an unconventional path.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: How did those early struggles actually prepare you for an elite level of excellence?
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: The early struggles that I encountered was really about not giving up and uh and being persistent and persevering and understanding that it's a journey, it's not a destination.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: And uh again, I I'm gonna continue to lean into my experience being an immigrant.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: When you come when you leave your country of origin and you're coming into a brand new country, and you have no clue what's coming tomorrow, and and how your parents are gonna put food on the table.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, you know, and how you're gonna you know go to school and not understand a single word the teacher tells you, it puts everything in perspective.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_02: So from that standpoint, you know, sports is it's just a struggle whether you know you're you might someone is beating you in this moment, but that's not forever.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: If you understand what it takes to improve and get better and willing to do that, that it's all you know, it's all a matter of time.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I I was taking that approach.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_02: I think the most important thing for me was that I enjoyed the process, right?
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_02: I enjoyed hard work, I enjoyed perseverance.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: I love being challenged.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: I tell this story all the time.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: I felt most productive when during my training years, during my you know, athletic career, I felt most productive.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: When I came home in the evening, I felt uh I laid on the couch and I couldn't get up.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: I knew that I had a very productive day, you know, of training.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I I that that for me that was my high.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_02: I loved it.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_02: I loved the fact that I was honest with myself, that I I left it all in the craft that I was doing.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_02: And at the end of the day, that's the approach I I would recommend every athlete take.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's just give give it yo, be honest.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_02: You know, one advice our coach, one of our coaches on the national team, told us many, many years ago, and I kind of applied this because it was so true.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_02: There's only one person in the world you can never lie to.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's the person that looks at you when you walk when you walk into the bathroom in the morning and you're brushing your teeth.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he's staring back at you is the only person that knows the truth.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: And if you can be honest with that person, whether you put in the work, it's it that's that's that's the most important and honest uh approach to life in general.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: You said you love a challenge in adversity, and in the 2000 Olympics, you dominated your sport, winning three individual golds and helping the relay team win a fourth, but you also dealt with a shoulder injury that required surgery and forced you to change your stroke.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: How did you maintain excellence while adapting a physical setback and changes?
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that's just the card I was dealt.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_02: Injury was, you know, part of sports.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: And you have to adjust.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I didn't have too much time to dwell on in terms of the injury and what you know what I just needed to have a plan of how I'm going to adjust and what do I need to do to preserve my shoulder so I can train for another four years between 2000 and 2004, and you know, change the training style, maybe change my technique a little bit.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_02: You know, heading into 2004 Olympic trials, I hurt my shoulder again, and I actually couldn't use my arm for a few months.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: So I ended up just kicking.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_02: But again, my goal was if this is the card it's dealt, if I'm kicking, I'm gonna try to be the best best kicker in the world.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: But this is this is what I can control.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's about making the best of the situation that you're in and the cards you're dealing with, as well as long as you're willing to make the best out of it.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and because there's always a way, there's always a solution, there's always something you can do to improve yourself, no matter how challenging that situation is.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: Just really quick, I just want to add so three gold medals in Athens, I mean, I'm sorry, in Sydney in 2000, and then the fourth was on the relay in Athens in 2004.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: Got it, got it, still quite impressive.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: If you could sit down with yourself at 14 years old, just arriving to LA, not speaking in English, facing those 45-minute commutes to practice, this is more for the younger generation because so many young athletes deal with adversity, not to the extent that you did.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: But what would you tell that version of Lenny at 14 about what's coming and how to handle it?
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_02: I would tell Lenny that expect challenges, expect that things aren't gonna go your way.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_02: Don't give up.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, understand that's part of the process.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_02: But two things I would be, I would make sure that Lenny understands.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_02: Learn how to communicate what you're feeling with your parents, with with your immediate circle of support.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_02: Communicate with your coaches and your enters.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's really, really important that you communicate how you're feeling, what's going through your mind, what challenges, and at the same time, what are you excited about?
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: Because the more you speak up, the better you're able to build a relationship with people that care most about you.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: Because then now they understand what you're going through and how they can help you.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_02: So communication is the key.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_02: And that is, of course, the biggest challenge with teenagers is that are they willing to communicate truly and honestly what's on their mind and in their heart?
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_02: But as an athlete, I think it's really, really important that you do that.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: For sure, for sure.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: And this is a question I think more for f families, both the parents and the athlete.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_01: What about current young athletes, especially immigrants, who are facing financial hardship, language barriers, and feeling feeling like they don't belong?
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_01: What do they need to understand about turning obstacles into advantages?
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_02: Well, first of all, I think the most fundamental principle that I would take is that you do belong.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's that that it starts there.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_02: You do belong, and you have an you're given an opportunity, and you're gonna you you're gonna take the right approach to make the best out of that opportunity.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: Again, you're not gonna uh it's it's okay if you're not gonna going to be accepted in every circle, if you're not going to maybe give an opportunity on a certain club team or a certain swim team, but there's other ways, other teams.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's a matter of fighting, finding an opportunity and making the best out of the situation that you have at this particular moment.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: Like I said, I didn't swim high school, I didn't have an opportunity, my high school didn't have a swim team.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_02: So I I had to swim, had to go far away and swim on a small team just so I can keep swimming.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I was a late bloomer.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I didn't get a college scholarship early on, because through high school, most of my competitors were swimming in good high school teams and good club teams.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't have that, I didn't have resources to go to a good swim team because it was way too far away.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: And high school didn't have a swim team.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I trying to find ways to basically do the best I can in the environment that I was given in around my surround within my surroundings.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: For sure.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: I correct me if I'm wrong.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think I remember in our first introduction that you actually went to a Jewish community center and you were part of their swim team.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Is that correct?
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: I was pretty much throughout high school after the long commute to San Marca College for about a year and a half.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: After that, I went to a Jewish community center and swam on the team here pretty much throughout high school.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: It was a communal team.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: It certainly was not a competitive team.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I I used to go to competitions.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_02: I went to a couple of competitions, kind of national uh junior competitions, and I would get 20th and 22nd and 17th place, and I'd be looking at those guys that were winning, and I I thought that you know they were swimming in a different world.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't even I didn't imagine in in that moment in time that I can be as good as they were, but I didn't give up.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_02: I kept sticking to you know my own plan, my own schedule, and my own journey.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_02: And eventually I can tell you all those guys eventually wish they would have been where I was at the end of the day.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: Before I turn it over to Aaron, which is segment five, I gotta ask a simple question.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_01: I already know the answer, but I'm I'm gonna get a good laugh out of it.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: When you walk on the pool deck and smell the chlorine, do you get nervous and do you get butterflies?
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_01: Not anymore.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_02: But uh I certainly did.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_02: I mean that that that's normal.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's part of the journey.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_01: Why about turn it over to Aaron?
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: Segment five rapid fire round.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron, take it away.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so this one's fun.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: This is just really quick.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna start a sentence and you're gonna finish it for me, okay?
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, okay.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: Discipline equals success.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_00: Legacy equals doing things the right way.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: Leadership equals.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_02: Doing it by by example.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: Perseverance equals.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_02: Never giving up.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: And what is one thing that you would never compromise on?
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_02: Hard work.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you could put a billboard on have a billboard with a message for the next generation of athletes or Olympians, swimmers, whomever, what would that message to those young athletes be?
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_02: If it's gonna be, it's up to me.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: See, super quick, we're gonna turn it back over to Thomas.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Aaron.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, we're gonna go into our closing segment here.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: And we'd like to turn it over to our guests and just kind of leave an open floor here.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_01: Before we wrap up, is there something we didn't touch on today that you feel athletes, immigrants, or anyone facing major obstacles need to hear about perseverance, identity, and building a lasting legacy?
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_02: I think we touched upon this a little bit, but I do want to emphasize again the importance of understanding that there's so much more to life than sports and pursuing your athletic dreams.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_02: There's a completely different uh life outside of that, and I think it's really, really important you start understanding, appreciating that, and thinking about it at the same time you're pursuing your athletic dreams.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_02: I can tell you right now, I'm you know, I'm 50 years old.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_02: I can tell you right now that my success was you know two and a half decades ago, and there's a whole different life and world that I'm I'm in right now, that I've been in the last 20 plus years, that has nothing to do with my athletic accomplishments.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_02: And if I wasn't thinking about it at that time, I don't know whether I would be able to navigate it uh as relatively okay as I've done to this point.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's really important.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_02: And the other thing that I would like to make sure that uh you know people understand is that you can take the the character-building traits that you develop as an athlete into real life.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that is also really important because that we talked about that, that perseverance and dedication and commitment and you know, and uh obstacles along the way that you encounter as an athlete, those are exactly the things that you're gonna encounter in real life.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_02: And if you can lean into what you've learned and the experiences you've gained through being an athlete, and you can apply that to real life, I think it's gonna the the the daily grind of life is going to be, I believe, smoother more and more successful.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_02: For sure, for sure.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_01: Where are you where are all your Olympic medals?
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_02: They're in the in a closet at my house.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_02: You keep them in the closet.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_02: I like them.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_02: I keep them in the closet because some I still travel and sometimes like if I do appearances, I still need to, you know, bring them with me.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_02: So it's hard to put them in like in a you know, in a case or frame.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, so that's fine.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: Well, a lot of parents have at the office they say, bring your kid to work day.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have uh your kids that say that bring their bring your Olympian to work?
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_01: Do your uh kids ever bring you to school with those medals?
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_02: No, my daughters are actually very shy of my successes.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_02: Is that right?
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, they and that's okay because I you know I I want them for for for me, uh a relationship is about you know, father, daughters, the support, the support that I can provide, and also lead by example.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_02: So the way I I live my life is how I set the example for them, for sure.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_02: If that's what they get out of it, then I'm I'm very satisfied by it.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_01: All right, Lenny, I got a hot seat question for you.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_01: Of all the swimmers in history and in any country, if you had to put together your personal dream team for the four by one hundred medley, your swimming backstroke, who would be the other three strokes that you would pick?
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Michael Phelps would be a butterfly, okay?
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um breaststroke.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_02: I I would do as a British guy right now.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm planking in his name, Adam Petey.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_02: Uh swimming uh breath breaststroke, and uh I would say Jason Lizak would enter Freestyle.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_01: That is awesome.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, where can people get a hold of you if they want to reach out, whether it's a website, an email, or your social media handles?
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_02: Social media, I'm also I I'm not a very active social media person, so I have an Instagram at Lenny K.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, whatever the Mark Lenny K.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh I'm also on LinkedIn.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, more professional.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_02: You can just search Lenny Praisalberg and I'll pop up.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_02: You know, kind of keep my social media interaction more now professional on uh LinkedIn.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome, awesome.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, thank you so much for showing us what it looks like to turn a very every obstacle into an opportunity and to honor both your heritage and your dreams.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_01: Tim, if you this if you if this conversation hit you, do two things for us.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_01: One, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: A young athlete facing language barriers or financial struggles, an immigrant family chasing their dreams, a coach working with kids who doesn't have advantages but have character.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: And two, remember that circumstances don't determine your outcomes.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_01: Character does.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny prove that at a 14 as a 14-year-old immigrant with 45-minute bus ride commutes to practice to become one of the best fast backstrokers in the world.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely reach out to him.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: We'll have those that information in the show notes.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're an athlete, parent, or coach ready to raise the standard, check out me and Aaron at blueprintbluechip.com.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: We help athletes build identity, discipline, and legacy that goes well beyond the game or the pool.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're ready to get clear on what's beyond the game, reach out to us again at Blueprint Bluechip.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_01: If this episode has resonated with you, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_01: It helps us reach more athletes, parents, and leaders who need to hear Lenny's message.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: This is a standard podcast, and this movement only grows when you rip when we raise the standard together.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_01: Talent fade, but truth endures.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_01: Let's raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and become the standard.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_01: Lenny, Aaron, thank you both so much for joining us.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you guys both have a great rest of your day and weekend.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_01: Team, we'll see you next time.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.