The Morning Swim Show, Nov. 22, 2011: Training With Michael Phelps Helping Chase Kalisz Reach Goals

PHOENIX, Arizona, November 22. CHASE Kalisz is poised to be a breakout performer at next year's U.S. Olympic Trials, and on today's edition of The Morning Swim Show, he talks about how training with Michael Phelps is helping him reach his goals.

Kalisz talks about how Phelps helps motivate him in workout, how he's working on his weak stroke in his individual medley and how he came to pick the University of Georgia as his college choice. Watch the full show in the video player below and visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

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Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Peter Busch: This is the Morning Swim Show for Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011. I'm your host Peter Busch in the FINIS Monitor today we will talk to Chase Kalisz. He trains with Michael Phelps at North Baltimore Aquatics, and it is working. Chase is one of the rising starts on the U.S National Youth team and he joins us right now in the FINIS Monitor from Baltimore. Hey Chase welcome to the Morning Swim Show, how are you?

Chase Kalisz: I'm great, how are you?

Peter Busch: Good, how's training?

Chase Kalisz: It's tough. We just got back from our altitude camp in Colorado for three weeks, then headed to the Minnesota Grand Prix, and now we are back here just doing normal training I guess.

Peter Busch: Now, how do you swing going to Colorado for three weeks while you are in high school?

Chase Kalisz: I was fortunate enough to have my school board help me out a lot, so they put me on online classes so I'm currently just taking two online classes so it is very flexible to my swimming schedule.

Peter Busch: Wow, that's nice.

Chase Kalisz: Yeah definitely.

Peter Busch: What do your teachers— what do your parents for that matter think of you know at this young age — I mean obviously a great athlete but taking it so seriously and school is already in some cases kind of on the you know secondary?

Chase Kalisz: They are very supportive. They actually kind of went through a very similar thing with my older sister four years ago so they are pretty supportive about the whole thing?

Peter Busch: They are used to it huh?

Chase Kalisz: Yeah.

Peter Busch: Now, pardon me was your sister a swimmer as well?

Chase Kalisz: Yeah, she was, she went to University of Southern California.

Peter Busch: Oh nice. Well, so you swim with Michael Phelps and you swim some similar events. I mean the 400 IM is kind of your baby event, 200 breaststroke you are really, really good at, too. So do you train I mean the same actual workouts as Michael?

Chase Kalisz: Yeah, Michael I couldn't think of any better training partner in the U.S. We do all the sets together. Me and him really like to race on the breaststroke sets. He is definitely there to push me along in IM set because he is kind of a little bit ahead of me.

Peter Busech: Yeah, I noticed how you said you really, really push each other on the breaststoke sets but I don't imagine he still got a leg up on the other stuff.

Chase Kalisz: Yeah. He definitely does.

Peter Busch: What is it like, what does he like in training, I mean is he intense. I mean I have trained with guys who like yell and get really fired up or is he pretty you know stay in his own zone?

Chase Kalisz: I would say he likes to— he makes it a good atmosphere like, happy, funny and then when it is time to get to work, he will really get to work and motivate everyone. He will push everyone, like on the last one he will say let's go, let's go a certain time and it is really good to have them around.

Peter Busch: Do you ever think how lucky you are as a high school kid and your training partner is Michael Phelps?

Chase Kalisz: Oh yeah, all the time it is awesome, it is unbelievable.

Peter Busch: I notice you are wearing your Georgia shirt.

Chase Kalisz: Yes I am.

Peter Busch: Well what made you decide to become a Bulldog?

Chase Kalisz: To the weeks leading up to July 1st and kind of starting the whole process I met with Bob and my parents and I kind of— my parents wanted me to stay close by. Georgia is not too far away, and me and Bob talked about staying with a program that is very similar to ours, so we basically narrowed it down to Georgia and Florida and I took my trips and I just loved Georgia — everything about it, great program, great coaches, I love the team.

Peter Busch: Yeah and they have had great success with people swimming your events, especially that 400 IM recently. Jack certainly knows how to get his distance guys going.

Chase Kalisz: Yeah definitely. We actually trained with Billy the recent NCAA champion and a couple of other guys like Mark Dylla and some of the girls on Morgan Scroggy, Chelsea Nauta last year in Colorado. They came out with us.

Peter Busch: The 400 IM as mentioned earlier. Your times are getting to the point where I mean it is pretty safe, it is a safe bet that you could make that final at Olympic Trials. Is that the primary goal right now?

Chase Kalisz: Yeah definitely that is my main thing for Trials. I'm going to try to make as many finals as possible and just got to experience there.

Peter Busch: What needs to improve for you to take that next step?

Chase Kalisz: Definitely my backstroke. My backstroke is not really that great right now so it is definitely something we have been working on and I think will get better and just takes time.

Peter Busch: Now what is it that about the backstroke, is it your rhythm, your timing, what are you really focusing on? Chase Kalisz: I would say my technique and my tempo. My tempo is not really too great and I'm going to try to swim more individual backstroke races. I would say my other events. My other 200 for each stroke aren't too bad but my back stroke is kind of far back there so a lot of just working on it and racing.

Peter Busch: You have been swimming your whole life?

Chase Kalisz: I started competitive swimming when I was 4.

Peter Busch: So pretty much yes.

Chase Kalisz: Yeah pretty long time.

Peter Busch: Have you ever played any other sports, or swimming just been your baby the whole time?

Chase Kalisz: I played lacrosse and basketball and I had to pick a choice when I was 13 and obviously swimming took it so I gave those up right before I hit high school and just started focusing on swimming full time.

Peter Busch: Quick question, what is— you live in Baltimore. I mean Michael Phelps is a superstar in swimming world no matter where he goes, but in Baltimore, you know people you stop them on the street kind of thing trying to get an autograph?

Chase Kalisz: All the time, yeah, he is a pretty big celebrity around here. Everyone knows who he is that was— yeah when people see him they always stop him for an autograph, yeah.

Peter Busch: And you tell the girls at school, yeah he tries to beat me in the breaststrokes in practice.

Chase Kalisz: Not yet.

Peter Busch: Well, Chase, good luck with the training leading up to Olympic Trials. Are you swimming high school season this year or no?

Chase Kalisz: I am not. I'm just focusing on club and—

Peter Busch: Focusing on Trials, alright, well congrats on making your college decision. Good luck the rest of the way.

Chase Kalisz: Thank you very much.Peter Busch: Alright that is Chase Kalisz joining us in the FINIS Monitor from Baltimore today and that is it for today's show, I'm Peter Busch reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.

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