On being a part of the Cali Condors once again this season, he said, “It is not only an honour, but a joy to represent my country in the only swimming league in the world. ISL is a great opportunity to unify swimmers worldwide, even though swimming is an individual sport, Cali Condors is a real team. I value my teammates and consider them close friends.”
He praised Jason Lezak, who serves as the team’s General Manager. “I cannot imagine the Cali Condors without Jason. He is the person who believes in strong teamship and he’s one of the main reasons why we are so cooperative and supportive of each other. Also, when you doubt yourself, he will always lift your spirits,” Kawęcki said.
Kawęcki opened up about life during quarantine. “Frankly, for every sportsman out there, it has been a nightmare. But swimmers? We had it extra hard with no pool access for months. I happened to spend quarantine with my friends from Polish national team. We organized a home-made gym and motivated each other. Apart from that, quarantine made me focus more on my relationship with my son, I couldn’t be happier about the outcome,” he said.
Regarding his daily motivations, he said, “When I was eight years old, I dreamt of becoming an Olympic champion. 20 years later and my goal is still the same. Even winning the World Championships couldn’t ease that hunger.”
For young and aspiring swimmers, he said, “Certainly it is important to focus on a goal – set it yourself and keep on pushing forward. But you must not lose yourself along the way. You know best what you care about and how much you put into making your dreams come true. Listen to yourself, but do not let the self-doubt overrule your desire to be the best. It’s not going to be easy, but it is worth it.”
On being a swimmer in the digital age, he said, “I am a simple man. I know my job is to swim, and to do it the best I can. All these devices and tools are helping my coach to assess my potential and to plan my development better, but it is not where my focus is at.”
He listed the backstroke as his personal favorite stroke in swimming. “My favorite and I guess I won’t be bragging when I say mastered swimming style is the backstroke. Why? It just happened to be my choice when I was a kid and I stick to it,” he exclaimed.
On his definition of the word success, he said, “I am not sure what it is. But I know what it certainly isn’t, a coincidence. It is the sum of sacrifices, hardships and courage to go beyond one’s own limits.”
For his fans and supporters, Kawęcki concluded, “When you are in the water, racing, nothing else exists. But the time in between these seconds – exercising, mental training, dieting and celebrating – all of it would be impossible and meaningless without your support. Thank you.”
To learn more about elite Polish swimmer Radosław Kawęcki, follow him on Instagram.