She won two silver medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens in the swimming relay races, and yet another two silver medals in the swimming relay races at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. “Those felt great,” she said, with a sweet laugh.
A three-time Olympian, Joyce founded the Lead Sports Summit in 2017, and her goal has been to serve as a mentor and motivational speaker to empower young women. “I retired after the 2012 Olympics in London. After I retired, I was doing swim clinics, I was traveling around the country, and I was teaching at a swim school in Denver,” she said. “I came up with the idea for Lead, and we didn’t know what response we would get in our first year. Fortunately, it was a success, and we had unexpected results.”
On her future goals, she said, “My plan for the future is to help the Summit grow. We hope to reach as many girls as possible, and we want to serve these girls best. That’s the most important thing.”
For young swimmers, Joyce encouraged them to “Enjoy the process.” “Even during the hard times, one of the greatest lessons we can learn as athletes is to have grits and to push through when things get tough. Swimming takes time and persistence,” she said.
She defined the word success simply as “being happy.” “If I can look back at the end of the day, and say ‘I did what I did’ and it really made me happy, then I would call that a success,” she said. “I think that’s what every parent wants for their kids: to be happy. As a parent, you would call that a success, and as a coach, you would call that a success.”
Digital transformation of aquatics
On the impact of technology on aquatics, Joyce said, “Technology is an incredible addition to our sport. It has been around in other sports for a long time, and to be able to use video feedback, and to have great access on YouTube, has helped the sport grow so much. I am constantly amazed when I watch the junior nationals, or I look up results from high school state meets, and events from all over the country.”
Joyce continued, “I follow the results of the girls that come to Lead. I am always amazed at how fast swimming gets each year. A huge part of that is thanks to the technology that has come into our sport.”
She is excited to see the new swimsuits that companies will debut in the near future. Joyce shared that she went to the launch of the TYR Venzo, the new technical suit, and she noted that it looks “awesome.”
Joyce uses technology for teaching purposes when she works with young swimmers. “Technology helps with the immediate results that you see,” she said. “It gives coaches instant results and instant feedback, and that is incredible.”
To learn more about three-time Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce and the Lead Sports Summit, check out its official website.
