How Gretchen Walsh's Former Coach Builds Mental Strength In Swimmers

Forbes

19-05-2025

With Gretchen Walsh breaking another world record at the 2025 TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale—hearing the crowd cheer, seeing the new time and trying to catch her breath as the realization sets in that she is the first woman to ever break 55 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly—it's hard not to wonder what it truly took for her to get to that moment, not just physically, but mentally.
And what about her sister, Olympic swimmer Alex Walsh?
How did they handle pressure, bounce back from setbacks and sustain their mental toughness throughout their years as club swimmers? With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, it's a good time to take a closer look at what it takes mentally to go from a young club swimmer to an elite-level athlete.
In conversation with Doug Wharam, former coach of both Gretchen and Alex at the Nashville Aquatic Club (NAC), we explore what that mental journey has looked like for swimmers at NAC.
Coach Doug Wharam has worked with dozens of swimmers throughout his career. He began coaching Gretchen and Alex Walsh—who both went on to swim for the University of Virginia—when they were around 12 or 13 years old and continued guiding them through their high school years. He saw both sisters develop in different ways and, in an interview, shared his approach to supporting athletes' development, emphasizing the importance of being intentional as a coach while remaining flexible.
'We are really intentional about a lot of the things that happen with athletes like at a younger age—both in terms of how often we offer practice, how often we ask them to be at practice, how much learning versus swimming they're doing within the context of each practice,' Wharam explained.
At NAC, the club's structure is designed so swimmers moved through one group at a time rather than being split into several. He went on to say that, in his experience, being intentional about what each level looks like in the program and allowing kids to feel successful in their current group—while also preparing them to move up to the next—helps build their confidence as they progress.
'Managing their confidence is key for ones who start really young,' he added.
Wharam also explained that a swimmer's progression isn't always linear. Some swimmers progress quickly, while others take more time, based on personal readiness, family circumstances and other factors. "I've always found it really helpful to be flexible and try to meet the kids and the families kind of where they are," Wharam explained.
And what about the Walsh sisters? According to Wharam, 'The progress in their confidence, I would say, was intentional.'
During high school, both sisters worked with a confidence coach.
While 'burnout' is a common term in sports, including swimming, Wharam doesn't like using the word. 'If we're talking about the mental side of burnout—like what is it? It's inappropriate goals at inappropriate times,' he said.
At NAC, coaches take a proactive approach, often starting with a conversation with the swimmer and their family to realign expectations. Are the goals realistic for their age, training level and circumstances?
'We talk to the parents, and we make sure that the goals they have are appropriate given their circumstances, given their background, given where we are in a season, given, you know, the constraints of the training group, all of those things,' Wharam explained. 'Oftentimes it's about matching their goals up with kind of where they are in that process.'
At NAC, swimmers are encouraged to try different events or strokes rather than focusing solely on one stroke at a young age, which helps prevent burnout. Wharam emphasized that kids and parents often became too focused on specific events early on. While it isn't anyone's fault, part of NAC's philosophy is making sure athletes develop all four strokes as they progress through the levels and remain open to change as they grow.
Alex Walsh's own story is a clear example. Between the ages of 12 and 14, she was strong in the 200 backstroke. But around age 14 or 15, she began to lose interest in the event. Wharam recalled sitting down with her to discuss a shift in focus. With strong performances in breaststroke and a solid foundation in freestyle and butterfly, the medley seemed like a better fit at the time, and the change worked. Alex found a new passion in the IM and continued to thrive in the event at the highest level.
Wharam believes mental resilience can be taught. Some athletes thrive in practice but struggle under pressure in competition. Helping swimmers recognize and work through these challenges is part of the process, while putting them into situations where they can be successful. Whether the situation leads to success or not, Wharam said it is intentional on the coach's part at NAC.
'Or if they're not being successful, it's intentional,' he said. 'You know, especially with those level athletes, like, they have to kind of be able to stretch competitively. You can't go to the Olympics—well, you can—there are rare cases of it, but it's much easier to work your way to that level. So, you go to meets where everybody's kind of beyond you, and you get a chance to kind of see what that looks like.'
'But yeah, I think everybody has to work on it at that level. And I think it is definitely something that they can get better at, whether that's being mentally resilient, mentally tough or even just confident.'
Resilience also comes from helping athletes understand what is in their control. If a swimmer struggles to drop time, coaches often bring the focus back to training habits and daily effort. This shift reinforces accountability and helps athletes regain a sense of control, rather than feeling stuck or defeated.
Even the most talented swimmers face periods of plateau or disappointment. For Coach Wharam, setbacks are opportunities to refocus.
'So, for us, you know, oftentimes, if a kid's not going to make progress in that season—or even across multiple seasons—we see that as a result of something happening in practice,' he explained.
At NAC, coaches work with athletes to identify specific areas for improvement. This approach helps shift the focus from outcome to process.
'It's like one of those life skills, right? That you hope people learn from swimming. All of this on some level is within your control—like your performance is within your control—and if you take ownership of that, work on that, and you work on it day in and day out, the end of that we're confident that you will find success on some level for you, and that goes for every level of our team.'
Wharam acknowledged that athletes hit rough patches—what matters is how they respond.
'I mean, it does happen, right, where kids get into bumpy spots. You know, we saw that with Gretchen in the hundred freestyle. We shifted gears on her, and she swam backstroke and she swam butterfly, you know, at the end of those summers. And obviously has had incredible success, right, in the butterfly as she's gone on to UVA. So yeah, so I think that does happen. But it's not anything that I feel like the kids in our program anyway don't feel like they can get a handle on.'
While Wharam avoids the word 'burnout,' he acknowledged both Gretchen and Alex had moments when they needed a break, especially due to a packed schedule during high school years.
Parental involvement plays a crucial role. Because coaches don't see swimmers outside of practice, Wharam relies on open communication with families to help gauge when breaks are needed. 'And so, the interaction that we can have with the parents and kind of take a cue from them in terms of, hey, like, it sounds like everybody needs like three or four days off this circle this weekend and like go ahead and do that,' he said.
Reflecting on what he learned from coaching both athletes, Wharam pointed to patience and expectation management as key lessons. With Alex, he learned to value steady, consistent progress over time.
With Gretchen, the lesson was different. She showed early signs of what she was capable of, but because she competed in sprint events, the path to international success took longer. When she qualified for the Olympic Trials in 2016 as the youngest swimmer there, she told Wharam she was going to make the team. Wharam redirected her: 'I remember saying to her, 'I'm so excited for you, but let's circle Tokyo for that. Let's go to trials, have fun, and learn what that's all about.' Because she was so far out, and she didn't yet have the experience to know she had just sneaked into trials, and it would take years and years of work to get to the next level.'
So, with Gretchen, Wharam learned how to manage her expectations.
Wharam's philosophy emphasizes that long-term success in swimming isn't just about performance at NAC—it is about helping each athlete grow with confidence, balance and perspective. Supporting mental health is a crucial part of that growth. USA Swimming also recognizes this and expanded its services to support athlete wellness at every level.
In February, USA Swimming hired Emily Klueh, a licensed mental health and sport performance therapist and National Team alum, as its first Manager of Mental Health and Emotional Wellness. Klueh provides direct care, educational resources, and helps connect swimmers with the right practitioners as part of USA Swimming's growing focus on athlete wellness.