Night Swim Podcast Full Episode : Thomas Heilman Interview

On this episode of Night Swim, we’re joined by Thomas Heilman of the University of Virginia to talk college swimming, the College Swimming League (CSL), training philosophy, and UVA’s ambitions to become an NCAA powerhouse on the men’s side.

Thomas shares his experience competing in the CSL, why the electric atmosphere and fast-paced format make the meets exciting, and how racing multiple events in a short period challenges swimmers. We also discuss his development as a young swimmer, setting a national age-group record at 14, and how race-specific training, lower yardage, great training partners, and attention to technical details helped shape his career.

We get into UVA’s training environment under coaches Todd DeSorbo, Gary Taylor, and Tyler Fenwick, the dynamic between the men’s and women’s teams, and why the UVA men believe they can compete for an NCAA team championship in the coming years. Plus, we debate whether swimming and diving should be separate sports, discuss celebrations in the pool, and look ahead at the athletes who could make a major impact this season.

Can the UVA men take the next step and challenge the traditional NCAA powerhouses? Is the CSL changing college swimming for the better? And what does it take to build a championship team?

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