Sevan Matossian (00:02):
Bam. We’re live. Good morning, everyone. Jake, captain. Uh, Dave Attaway. Good morning, Heidi. Wow. Good to see all you guys. Adam, good morning. I am here with Brett Fraser. Am am I pronouncing your last name right?
Brett (00:15):
That’s correct. Fraser.
Sevan Matossian (00:17):
Fraser. Um, he is the Chief Athlete Officer from the Enhanced Games. Uh, before we dig in, I’m gonna show you guys this, uh, trailer, uh, Brett. I, I watched a bunch of interviews that you and, um, dusa have done, um, you know, in, in, in the past couple months. I just want you to know that there will be no hostility from me in the regards that those dbags were hostile towards.
Brett (00:42):
We can, uh, we can talk about it all.
Sevan Matossian (00:44):
<laugh>. Awesome. It’s crazy. What a charged, uh,
Speaker 3 (00:49):
<laugh>. Yeah. What
Sevan Matossian (00:49):
A charged subject this is. But let me play this trailer. I thought you guys did a fantastic job at it. And, um, here we go.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I am the fastest man in the world, but you’ve never heard of me. I have broken you same bolts, 100 meter record, but I can’t show you my face. I’m a proud, enhanced athlete. The Olympics hate me. I need your help to come out. I need your help to stop hate. I need your help for the world to embrace science. Come join me in 2024 at the first enhanced games and see me break the world record in public.
Sevan Matossian (01:55):
You think, uh, 2024 is so ambitious. Do you think that’s really going down?
Brett (02:01):
We’d like to see it. I mean, that’s what we’re planning for, uh, Q 4 20 24. December is when we’re planning to have the first games, and it’ll probably be an exhibition where we choose, uh, select events and have athletes that are, you know, really trying to, um, make a statement, um, breaking a world record or just vastly improving upon, uh, previous performance.
Sevan Matossian (02:23):
And, um, any locations in mind?
Brett (02:27):
Uh, we’ve conducted a site analysis exercise and, uh, it could be anywhere from the southeastern United States over to the West coast, or, you know, we’re entertaining, uh, several international venues as well. Uh, in the next few weeks, we’re gonna announce, um, more info, uh, with regards to, uh, the exact location, but it’s still very much, um, in development right now.
Sevan Matossian (02:48):
Any, um, any issues with the fact that it is a, uh, a free games, meaning the athletes are allowed to participate in, in I what? I think, well, first of all, is it a free games? You can come in a any, I’m guessing you can’t, um, by enhanced games, it’s strictly talking about, um, some sort of chemical or pharmaceutical enhancement. You can’t wear stuff right. To enhance you or can you
Brett (03:12):
That That’s right. No. So, uh, one of the biggest questions is, you know, I want to tie rockets to my shoes in order to run faster, right? It’s enhancing the human body, not no accessories to the human body, uh, in, in the initial fields anyway. There might be a category for cybernetics, which we introduce, uh, in the future. Yeah. However, right now it’s just, you know, the human body, uh, with the standard clothing and any other, um, any other tools that you would need in order to perform. Uh, but yeah, nothing, uh, nothing that’s a, a, a non-natural or, or machine, you know, type of add-on to the human body.
Sevan Matossian (03:47):
You know what, this gi gives me the vibe when I hear you talk like, that gives me this kind of science fair. Like, uh, if NASA is like, Hey, if you can build a, if this, if you can build a robot, you win the million dollars. You know what I mean? It’s, it’s got this, um, kind of innovation, uh, um, entrepreneurial, uh, and obviously like you guys are pushing a sciencey vibe to it. I’m, I’m, I’m really digging it. Um, a any issues like legally doing an event where, I mean, you know, you’ve probably heard like the Arnold has been raided by the F B I or the Mr. Universe has been raided by the F B I, right? They show up with a bunch of people and, and, and raid the hotel rooms looking for steroids that the bodybuilders are on. I mean, we all know they’re on them, right? That’s right. Um, but it’s, but they’re not, right? It’s, it’s illegal. Any issues with that, like doing an event in California where, let’s say trend is illegal, but you know, half the athletes are on it.
Brett (04:44):
So we’re still working through how to abide by, uh, wherever the event’s taking place to abide by the local law and, uh, uh, work with authorities and, um, the systems to make sure that we’re doing everything correctly. Um, the bodily autonomy that we’re allowing athletes to have, it’s basically to say you’re free to take whatever enhancements, uh, with, um, medical supervision and clinical, uh, supervision in order to optimize your body to train and perform at, at, at your best. So, the legal implications of it, um, we’re going to resolve in, uh, the safety of the games and the fairness of the games is what we’re trying to put at the, uh, at the forefront. And those are the paramount, um, pillars that we’re, we’re hoping to operate the first games on right now.
Sevan Matossian (05:28):
And, and when you say exhibition, um, can you gimme an idea of some of the events, uh, we would see?
Brett (05:33):
Sure. So if you just think about it, like if you’re going to the Olympics, which tickets are you buying? You’re probably gonna watch the 50 meter freestyle, the a hundred meter freestyle, uh, the a hundred meter, 200 meter dash, um, several gymnastic, select gymnastic events, and, uh, some combat sports. So while we may not have, you know, the full lineup of events, I think we’re gonna have what is watched the most, the short distance events in track and field and swimming. W
Sevan Matossian (06:00):
Would you have, um, combat of, I don’t think the Olympics has, um, m m A does it, would you guys have m m a?
Brett (06:05):
Yeah, we’re considering m m a Brazilian jiujitsu. Uh, those combat sports are, are pretty heavily washed, and I think they’ll draw a, a very supportive crowd. And the entertainment value of those is, is substantial.
Sevan Matossian (06:18):
Yeah, it’s crazy. Some of the pushback I’ve seen from people when, um, I’ve seen Aaron on some podcasts and on some, um, I dunno what you would call them sports shows, but people talk about the, uh, safety of the athletes when in, when in reality the safety’s kind of enhanced, because I mean, you, uh, are you familiar with the Abu Dhabi combat, uh, challenge A D C C? Yes. The biggest jiujitsu. Okay. Like, I think it’s known that, you know, or it’s accepted that 90% of the guys that are juiced to the gills, and basically what you, you guys are, basically what you’re doing is, is you’re setting up an environment where athletes don’t have to lie, which, which I think is huge. And then where since they don’t have to lie, everything becomes safer, the theoretically, right?
Brett (07:09):
Yes. Uh, swan, I mean, as it’s happening now, is you have athletes that are taking substances in the dark with no understanding of how to administer these medications or therapies, uh, how much to take and, and the long-term effects of it. Uh, they’re doing this without clinical supervision. So what we’re trying to, and what we will be doing is, uh, amassing a panel of, of doctors and scientists where athletes, if they choose to be enhanced, can consult, uh, with these medical professionals to get their opinion on, you know, when to take it, how to take it, and what it’s gonna do for them, um, in sports today. I mean, the fairness of competition just isn’t there because you’re, you’re always gonna have, uh, people who are gonna try to beat the system and take, uh, take performance enhancements, and they’re gonna do this in, in, by any means necessary. And I think that’s a very unsafe practice. Uh, so we’re really hoping to solve, um, the issue with the, the enhancements being unsafe and, and misunderstood and allowing a much more safer environment for athletes to, to, uh, to utilize these resources.
Sevan Matossian (08:11):
Um, obviously this crowd wants this, uh, will, will there be power lifting, uh, Olympic lifting, cleaning, jerk snatch? I mean, this crowd would love that.
Brett (08:19):
Uh, there will be power lifting. I think, uh, we’re gonna have, we’re gonna have a few events that are gonna be, um, that are not currently on the Olympic, uh, uh, lineup right now that I think will be really entertaining. But yes, we’re gonna have, uh, weightlifting,
Sevan Matossian (08:33):
I mean, I guess you, one of the ways you could do it also is to kind of look out over the landscape of sports and see what sports are already heavily steeped and, um, in pharmacy that enhance their abilities and, and, and almost like start there, right?
Brett (08:52):
Yeah, that’s right. I mean, I, I think your questions basically to take which sports have the most high octane right now. Yeah. And then put the center stage for us.
Sevan Matossian (09:00):
Yeah. Or, or, or something like Jiujitsu, where at the highest level, it’s just known that so many people are doing it, or, uh, uh, in, in, uh, I don’t know about, I, I don’t wanna speak about this, like, I know, but I think, I know like in power lifting, none of those guys look like the guy who’s deadlifting a thousand pounds. None of those guys look like anyone, I think, who is, um, who hasn’t enhanced themselves.
Brett (09:22):
Yeah, that’s right. I think enhancements are going to, uh, influence different events in weightlifting. We’re gonna see hopefully, um, major differences, uh, improvements upon current natural world records. I think in track and field and swimming, we’re gonna see more incremental, um, because it’s not to say like, you know, any professional athlete and and medical professional is not gonna go, uh, and take, you know, a, a a million milligrams of whatever substance it is in order to, uh, allow them to be faster. It’s, it’s, it’s gonna be very nuanced treatments that, uh, doctors are gonna prescribe to athletes. And then depending on the sport, I think we’re gonna see varying, um, levels of improvement, but improvement, significant improvement across the board. In terms of the shared performance,
Sevan Matossian (10:04):
Uh, this is an interesting, uh, statement. Do you know who Clarence Kennedy is by any chance? Brett,
Brett (10:10):
Clarence Kennedy. The name sounds familiar.
Sevan Matossian (10:13):
Um, it, it, it doesn’t matter that you don’t know him, but he is a, he’s basically done an ex, he’s a fascinating character. He’s on Instagram. Uh, he’s basically been very open about his journey, um, using, um, steroids. And he would be an awesome, and he, I, I believe he’s a strong proponent of it. Um, but he’d be an awesome, um, I don’t know what the word is, ally, for you guys, or, or just at least someone to pick their brain. Uh, and he’s crazy. Hu uh, hugely influential in the space because he’s kind of normal. Some of these guys don’t get, they kind of lose their normalcy,
Brett (10:46):
Starts turning into freak shows. Is he involved in the industry?
Sevan Matossian (10:50):
Uh, weightlifting? Wait, he’s a, he’s a weightlifting guy. Yeah. Um, and I’ll send you, when we’re off, I’ll send you, I’ll send you his, uh, Instagram and whatnot. Um, any, any limits on what you can take?
Brett (11:04):
Uh, no. Basically any substance or therapy is, is open for, for use. Uh, we do recommend and require the use of clinical supervision in order to, um, take these compounds or be prescribe the compounds. So while you can take, you have freedom to take whatever you wish you need to, and you have to consult with a medical professional in order to, um, understand the safety of it and the application for it.
Sevan Matossian (11:33):
Ha has anyone, um, overtly come out of the woodworks and just trying to stop you guys? Do you guys have anyone who’s just be, besides with their mouths, has anyone tried to litigate you guys or is messing with you guys?
Brett (11:44):
No, it’s been pretty interesting since the launch. We’ve seen, you know, as with anything controversial and bold on both sides of the, both sides of the spectrum, and because no one’s challenged the, or this level of elite competition before, um, there’s been a lot of, uh, you know, why are you doing this? This makes no sense. Is this real? And, um, that’s been most of the way for it. We haven’t really seen anything, you know, concrete, uh, yet. However, uh, we’re prepared for the battles that we’re, that we know that we’re going to face. And, um, because we’re challenging such a, uh, such, such a old established system, um, with I think very salient points as to why it’s not working anymore. Uh, you know, we expect to be challenged and we’re prepared to, uh, to face that.
Sevan Matossian (12:27):
Why do you think, like, when, um, you or Aaron go on these shows, um, they’re such a, um, immediate hostile reaction to it, you think it’s just dogma, like they just hear, you think it’s just dogma? Or why the hostility?
Brett (12:44):
I think it’s because everyone, you know, everyone’s scared of change, and this is a major change and kind of a, a fresh take that we’re, we’re putting, um, on elite competition. The Olympics have worked for a while in the public’s eyes, however, for athletes, and having been a former athlete myself, I know the system is broken. And, um, there is a lot of misunderstanding between the fairness of competition and allowing athletes to have bodily autonomy by allowing them to take, you know, whatever performance enhancements there is. There are. So I think there’s a lot of mixed, um, there’s a lot of mix up between what, what we’re actually trying to do. And we’re not promoting unfair competition. We’re actually trying to create a competition where, uh, where, where everything is fair and much more fair today, people are gonna continue to cheat and abuse the system, which, uh, you know, WADA hasn’t really worked, as we’ve seen with various documentaries and, um, controversies over the controversies over the past 10 years.
(13:42):
So the backlash, I think, originally comes from, uh, why are you going after these, you know, clandestine organizations? Um, why are you challenging what, uh, is not broken? But it is, it is broken. And we’ve seen by the responses and signups that we’ve gained since we’ve launched that, excuse me. We do have support. And, uh, while it’s going to take time to educate the public, uh, we’re happy to do that. But the initial backlash, I think comes from, um, just kind of a lack of understanding. And why would you ever challenge, uh, such a major organization that has been successful, uh, since the beginning of its since inception?
Sevan Matossian (14:26):
Um, any thoughts of how long, let’s say, let’s assume this thing gets off the ground. I wonder how long before they open up a class at the Olympics that’s enhanced. Do you know what I mean? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, kind of thing.
Brett (14:39):
Sure. I, I mean, what our hope is, is, is that’s, that class is not gonna happen. It’s either gonna be, uh, the enhanced games and the Olympic games, or we’re gonna find middle ground where, uh, we’re gonna address the elephant in the room, which is many athletes, uh, are, are doping or, or, or want to explore, um, what the potential is of their bodies, and then open up another category, which we are developing right now. So I think, uh, maybe we’re five or 10 years ahead of, of, of, uh, where we should be. But with the introduction of, of CRISPR babies and genetically modified, uh, humans, I mean, some humans are gonna have a molecular advantage, uh, you know, in the next five to 10 years and thereafter. Uh, anyway, so that’s gonna be the next debated topic. Uh, should someone who’s genetically modified be able to compete in, in a normal male and female category at the Olympics?
Sevan Matossian (15:35):
Uh, CRISPR baby, um, he nuki shocked the scientific community in 2018 by announcing his team had used the CRISPR Cas nine gene editing tool on twin girls when they were just embryos resulting in the birth of the world’s first genetically modified babies. A third gene edited child was born a year later. What’s a crispr baby?
Brett (15:58):
So basically picking and choosing, uh, which features you’d like to have, uh, in you young, in, in babies. So you bet you, you get to create a designer baby, which may have, uh, a molecular advantage by, by ways of using oxygen in red blood cells more efficiently. Um, so to that topic, uh, you know, we’re thinking about this now going forward because this is the future, and this is, you know, as of a few years ago, uh, happening,
Sevan Matossian (16:26):
Oh, and this is happening. Is this, is this, um, this, this particular case is in China? Is that where it’s all happening?
Brett (16:34):
I’m not sure exactly where it’s happening, but we just know it’s, it’s possible. And the way that the world is trending, I mean, technologies embraced, uh, pretty much in every field other than, uh, sports. So we’re understanding where the world’s going and, um, you know, there’s a demand for to, to view, uh, this category of enhanced sports. Um, so yeah, we’re, we’re understanding what the, what the, what the reality is and, and creating a platform and, and system in order to, uh, address that.
Sevan Matossian (17:06):
I know this is pretty close-minded of myself, but I personally would just want, I just want to be, if I, me thinking of just being born on planet earth, I would just want to be born like, just normal and like breastfeed off a woman and like come out through the vagina, like, I just want to, and then just, I don’t know. Then, then have the opportunity to choose. I know this is off subject a little bit, but then have the opportunity to choose whether I wanna get juiced up to the gills or how hard I wanna work to train, or if I wanna move to Colorado and train at elevation. God, it would you wanna be, would you wanna be a baby that was tampered with
Brett (17:42):
Me personally, my opinion is no, I would wanna be as natural as possible and then, you know, kind of, yeah, me too. Live a natural life, which, uh, I did as an athlete as well. Yeah. Uh, and then, you know, once things change or once you start to feel a different way, and once you start to feel the effects of aging, um, then I’d want to, you know, understand what options are available. Uh, yeah. You know, by way of, of, of medicine and, and speaking with doctors and, and scientists, I think this is, uh, uh, this is what I would want to do. But initially, you know, as, as naturally as possible, I think, uh, would be how I, how I would want to do it.
Sevan Matossian (18:16):
Yeah. Like, look at this guy. This, um, I want to crisper my baby to be a five foot five Armenian man. He’s making fun of me. He’s saying that like, no one, no one would genetically choose, right? Uh, to, to make me, how tall are you? How tall are you, Brett?
Brett (18:30):
I’m 6 2 6.
Sevan Matossian (18:32):
And how much do you weigh?
Brett (18:33):
1 91 91 95?
Sevan Matossian (18:35):
Yeah. Uh, more likely. And, and what, do you know what, uh, ethnicity you are?
Brett (18:40):
Uh, so I’m mixed race. I would say it’s not straight, you know, it’s black and white. Um,
Sevan Matossian (18:48):
Do you know where your white side’s from?
Brett (18:50):
It’s, it’s from Canada, but originally.
Sevan Matossian (18:53):
Oh, that’s fucked up. Okay. That’s one strike against you.
Brett (18:56):
<laugh>.
Sevan Matossian (18:57):
And what about your black side? Do you know where that’s from?
Brett (18:59):
Uh, Jamaican.
Sevan Matossian (19:01):
Oh,
Brett (19:01):
Okay. Jamaican.
Sevan Matossian (19:02):
And, and where are Jamaicans? Do are, do you know where Jamaicans from are or originally?
Brett (19:06):
Uh, Africa. I think you know Nigeria.
Sevan Matossian (19:09):
Uh Oh, that’s good. Nigeria’s good. Yeah.
Brett (19:12):
So I was born and raised in the Caribbean. Uh, my father was, uh, was born in Canada, and my mother was born in the Cayman Islands.
Sevan Matossian (19:19):
So the CRISPR could take out his Canadian side and, um, and work with his, uh, Nigerian side. And at least you’re six two.
Brett (19:27):
I mean, I don’t know. Both sides I think worked, uh, very well for me in, in the athletic, uh, in the athletic field.
Sevan Matossian (19:34):
Fine. But I’m just telling you, me personally, I’d rather be Nigerian than, um,
Brett (19:38):
Well, that’s, I mean, that’s what, what we think, uh,
Sevan Matossian (19:41):
Right, right. I mean, uh, Nigerians are doing great in the United States, and they’re, and I’m a big, and I’m a big U F C fan.
Brett (19:49):
Okay.
Sevan Matossian (19:50):
Where they’re, where they’re kicking ass. Do you watch the U F C?
Brett (19:52):
Yeah, from time to time
Sevan Matossian (19:54):
They got, um, uh, um, uh, Kama Usman the greatest Walter. Wait, whoever lived Nigerian. So, um, te tell me, um, tell me about, um, this is switching subjects a little bit too, about going to the Olympics. You went there as a swimmer?
Brett (20:12):
I did.
Sevan Matossian (20:13):
In 2008 and 2012.
Brett (20:15):
And 2020 21, uh, the Tokyo Olympics switch happened in 2021.
Sevan Matossian (20:20):
And that puts you in some pretty rarefied air, huh? Three Olympics?
Brett (20:25):
Yes.
Sevan Matossian (20:27):
Can, can you tell me about how old were you in 2008?
Brett (20:31):
I was 18.
Sevan Matossian (20:33):
Holy cow. And, um, when did you start swimming?
Brett (20:39):
I learned to swim probably when I was, uh, a year old. We grew up, uh, we grew up near the beach. We had a pool, so water safety was very important. Uh, developed a love for the water at a very young age, and then continued to develop talent in the pool. I would say seriously, at the age of eight or nine, uh, I remember by the age of 11, I was on a pretty, pretty intense, uh, training schedule. Uh, so yeah, I was training seriously by the age of 10.
Sevan Matossian (21:07):
Were your parents, athletes?
Brett (21:09):
Uh, my dad played, uh, football and my mom just played recreational, like volleyball, but both, uh, both very much into fitness.
Sevan Matossian (21:16):
And when you say your dad played football, is that, uh, American soccer or American football?
Brett (21:20):
Canadian.
Sevan Matossian (21:22):
Canadian. Canadian.
Brett (21:23):
He played in, yeah, in college.
Sevan Matossian (21:25):
Wow. And, uh, but, and that’s the one with the pads and stuff, right? Is Canadian football similar to the National Football League?
Brett (21:31):
Yes.
Sevan Matossian (21:32):
Yeah. Wow. And, and, and you were living where, at the time when you lived at the beach? I,
Brett (21:37):
I was born and raised in the Cayman Islands, grand Cayman.
Sevan Matossian (21:41):
How did, how did your, how did your parents end up there in the Cayman Islands if he was a football player in Canada?
Brett (21:47):
Uh, my dad visited the Cayman Islands on vacation, met my mother on a blind date, um, and never moved back. My mom was born and raised in the Cayman Islands.
Sevan Matossian (21:57):
Wow. And you have two other brothers?
Brett (22:00):
I do
Sevan Matossian (22:01):
Younger,
Brett (22:03):
Uh, I’m the middle, so one older, one, one younger. Uh, my older brother was a swimmer as well.
Sevan Matossian (22:08):
Yeah. There’s this, this picture you have here is crazy. This is, um, this is at, oh, shoot. Oh, yeah. This is at the Olympics and, and in London. And you guys are in, in the same race? Is that, that’s two phrases. That’s your brother down there, right? Three and eight?
Brett (22:29):
Uh, yep. This is the semi-final of the hundred freestyle.
Sevan Matossian (22:34):
Were your mom and dad there?
Brett (22:35):
Yes,
Sevan Matossian (22:37):
Dude. That’s crazy. How, uh, do you know any other brothers who competed, uh, against each other in, in, in the Olympics?
Brett (22:46):
Uh, at the Olympics? The only ones that come to mind, I’m not, I’m not sure if they were in the same, uh, heat or final was, uh, the Dunford brothers, uh, who swam at Stanford, and they’re from Kenya.
Sevan Matossian (22:59):
Crazy. And, and I guess there were those, not in swimming, but the, um, uh, the rowing event, the Facebook guys, they were brothers, right?
Brett (23:06):
Yeah. The WinCo Voss, uh, twins.
Sevan Matossian (23:08):
Yeah. And they did, and they did the rowing. That’s right. How, um, how, uh, how much of your parents, when, when you were swimming at 10, how much of your, your swimming was kind of forced by your, I have three boys, so this is asking for myself. How much of it was kind of forced by your parents or, or, or really encouraged versus how much of it was you?
Brett (23:32):
Uh, none of it was forced. Uh, it, it was encouraged. Um, we played different sports, tennis, track and field rugby, uh, football, soccer, um, so we did everything. But swimming was just one that, for reasons that, you know, I’m not, I’m not exactly sure. Maybe it was because me and my brother both, both liked it as much, and we shared that and we just were on the same schedule. Uh, swimming was the sport that we chose, and I saw and heard what it could, what it could do, and where it could take you. And, you know, I decided to commit to that, um, from a young age. And I wasn’t as good as my older brother when I was younger. So I got to see with dedication and persistence and, um, uh, success in the sport, what that could do for you. And I wanted the same thing. I wanted to, uh, become, uh, as best of a swimmer that I, that I could, and see where that took me. So my ticket, I guess off of the island, was to become a good swimmer, go to college, uh, study, and then, you know, see what, what happened thereafter, uh, in terms of a professional career in the sport.
Sevan Matossian (24:37):
So, could have been anything. You could have, you could have, you think you would’ve played sports regardless professionally, but it could have been track and field, it could have been tennis. You could have actually turned your head and like focused on, you could have chased a girl into tennis or into track and field.
Brett (24:50):
I, I, I think, uh, the reason why swimming stuck was because, because we had on the island, we had a re we had really good and, um, experienced, uh, coaches that came from the US mm-hmm. <affirmative>, uh, to train athletes in the Cayman Islands. So I think because of the timing and uh, the fortune of just being at the right place at the right time, um, we were able to access, uh, coaches that developed our talent. Um, well,
Sevan Matossian (25:16):
Are you, um, are you genetically predisposed to be a good swimmer?
Brett (25:21):
Uh,
Sevan Matossian (25:21):
Like your, your height and your frame and the, and the weight your body carries and your muscle to fat ratio and all that shit that, you know, I’m, I’m guessing they determine makes a great swimmer?
Brett (25:29):
Yeah, I would say my body is a little, um, it’s unique in the sense where my wingspan is very long for my height. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, relatively. And then, uh, my legs kind of have, uh, very, um, they’re very flexible at the knees. So these small things, yes, I’ve noticed over time that, uh, I think they would’ve given me an advantage just because of how swimmers are, uh, or composed. So, uh, yeah, there are a few, uh, there are a few things on my body where I think it’s helped.
Sevan Matossian (26:00):
And you probably would’ve been great at tennis too, although maybe, what’s crazy to say, this is even a little short
Brett (26:06):
For tennis. Um, yeah, interesting. When you say tennis and not any other sport.
Sevan Matossian (26:10):
I was, I’m sorry. Oh, my kids play tennis and, and my kids are never gonna be over five six, but there’re, but we play tennis five days a week. We do jiujitsu five days. That’s why I chose 10. When you said you played tennis, I was like, oh six two, he could be a pretty good tennis player, especially if you have a long wingspan, right?
Brett (26:25):
Yep. Um, I feel my body’s been conditioned, uh, ’cause I’ve spent so many hours in the pool to the sport of swimming. So once I finished, uh, swimming and retired, uh, getting good at ball sports, and I was good at strength training just because that’s a component to being a good swimmer, but, you know, hand-eye coordination was there, but just developing, uh, techniques and skills with every other sport took a while. Um, just because you’re so specialized in one.
Sevan Matossian (26:53):
Yeah. How many, how many, at 10 years old, how many hours a day were you in the pool?
Brett (26:58):
On a busy day, I would say like two and a half to three. Mm-hmm. A busy day being Monday where you have two a days, so you’re up in the morning, an hour and a half. Uh, swim practices for elite swimmers are about two hours long.
Sevan Matossian (27:12):
Uh, and kind of, say that again, sorry.
Brett (27:15):
About two hours long, no matter the age. So in your early teenage years, you’re, you’re swimming for an hour and a half, and then that might be twice a day. And that those two a days are two or three times a week, sometimes four.
Sevan Matossian (27:28):
And, and, and, and it’s a tough practice, right? It’s monotonous. Like I always hear swimmers talk about how they’re just looking down at the black line back and forth, back and forth.
Brett (27:36):
That’s right. Uh, swimming is swimming’s not for everyone. Uh, it’s a sport where, uh, you have to put in your time, you have to put in, uh, the effort that it takes in order to, uh, develop the technique and, and skill and then, you know, just continue to do that over and over and over. Uh, swimming on your own would be really challenging. Uh, so that’s why, you know, swimming in teams is, uh, I would never train on my own. I, I would always have to do a practice with the team, and that makes it difficult, uh, for some people because, uh, of how monotonous, like you mentioned, is, uh, practicing can be. So yeah, it is one of those sports where you really have to love the sport, uh, love the community and, um, you know, just be invested in it.
Sevan Matossian (28:20):
W w is there a dr in, um, is there a drug specifically for swimming? Like, you know, the lance, it was, it was the e p o and for the bikers or bodybuilders, I don’t know, some sort of steroid. I, is there a drug that’s like, you’re look around at your swimming buddies and you’re like, yep, he’s on that. Is there one?
Brett (28:37):
No, not to my knowledge.
Sevan Matossian (28:38):
Okay. Because, um, uh, some of those guys, not you, I mean, you look pretty muscular, but some of those guys, like Michael Phelps didn’t look like he had a, I mean, he looked almost skinny fat his entire career.
Brett (28:51):
Well, you could say, say the same thing about Lance.
Sevan Matossian (28:56):
Uh, I, I guess you’re right. I guess you’re right. Yeah, I guess you’re right. You think e p o would be a good, uh, um, drug lung power is important. I guess lung power is important in, in swimming, especially for the longer races.
Brett (29:08):
I’m not sure. I’m not sure what would be, uh, a good enhancement for someone to take, not a doctor, not a medical professional. Um, but for swimming, I can tell you that if you had, uh, increased capacity for your lungs, um, to intake oxygen and the way that your red blood cells used oxygen, if, if that happened in a more efficient manner, I think that would help, uh, swimmers succeed, um, and improve, uh, a lot in their events. Some strength here and there. So if you were to take steroids to improve certain, um, movements and, uh, allow yourself to be stronger, um, in the water, that may help as well. But, um, I think basically lung capacity and use of oxygen, um, if you could optimize and, and, and create efficiencies around that, that would probably be, uh, the best for swimmers.
Sevan Matossian (29:56):
Do, do you think that, um, drugs are pretty.
The above transcript is generated using AI technology and therefore may contain errors.
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