For two-time Olympian Haley Anderson, hard work is a way of life—though it does not always bring immediate success. She has been swimming competitively for over a decade. During that time, she has become one of the best female distance swimmers in the world. Although Haley has remained a top-tier distance swimmer—highlighted by an Olympic silver medal in 2012 and a World Championship gold in 2013—best times would not come with every race… or even every season. The U.S. national team member says it even took her six years to drop time in one event! But Haley’s 2018 season was a true display that hard work, perseverance and, most of all, patience is, as they say, “the key to success.”
With a silver medal at open water nationals, several World Cup wins, then finally a gold at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, Haley has had quite the year. When asked about her achievements, Haley says she has not done anything different with her training, but her hard work is finally showing results.
“I’ve been training faster than ever these past few years— it just took a little longer for that hard work to pay off,” says the athlete.
The trick is to be patient. Haley says it’s the best advice she can give young swimmers. For the average age group athlete, one swim season can seem like an eternity. It can be frustrating when months of training do not lead to best times in multiple events. But Haley says, “If you believe in your training, and you are putting in the work, success will eventually come.”
Although Haley has had a phenomenal year, she did have some help from several of arena’s training tools, including arena’s Vortex Hand Paddles and the Swim Snorkel Pro.
“Being a distance swimmer, I love pulling gear,” says Haley. “I can’t go anywhere without my pulling gear!”
The Vortex paddles, being slightly curved, mimic the shape of the hand when initiating the pull. This allows the swimmer to scoop more water and, therefore, launch themselves forward. Being so fond of these paddles, Haley says pulling is her favorite part of her daily workout.
“I like to feel the power that the paddles give me,” she says. “I just love a good, long pull set. I could pull all day.”
Another piece of equipment Haley keeps close is her Swim Snorkel Pro. She says she likes it so much, she will often forget she is wearing it.
“I’m seriously addicted to my snorkel,” says the swimmer. “It helps with my body and head alignment.”
Haley says she will begin her practices with her snorkel, focusing on keeping her head, neck and body properly aligned. Then, when the workout starts to build in intensity, Haley will take off the snorkel, still focusing on maintaining the same body alignment by not lifting her head too much.
With the proper equipment and the positive mindset, it is safe to say we can expect more exciting achievements from Haley.