Mel Tantrum: Open Water Coaching, Athlete Development and High-Performance Leadership

In this episode, I’m joined by Mel Tantrum, one of Australia’s most experienced swimming coaches, with a career spanning open water, high performance and now para swimming at the national level.

Mel reflects on her journey from swimmer to coach, the experiences that shaped her coaching philosophy and the lessons she wishes she had known earlier in her own swimming career. We explore the unique demands of open water racing, including decision-making, race skills, pack positioning and preparing athletes for unpredictable environments.

The conversation also dives into athlete development, coaching across different pathways and how Mel’s experiences leading both Australian open water and para swimming programs have influenced the way she thinks about performance, leadership and creating environments where athletes can thrive.

We also finish with a few lighter questions around favourite swim sets, coaching habits and what great swimmers tend to do differently.

Whether you’re an open water swimmer, coach, or simply interested in high-performance sport, there’s plenty of insight in this conversation.

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This interview was recorded on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. I acknowledge the Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of these lands and waters and pay my respects to Elders past and present.