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Building the Wind: Writing the Butterfly Chapter
When I sat down to write Ring Four: The Book of Butterfly, I knew I was stepping into dangerous territory, not just because butterfly is a brutal stroke, but because it exposes you, and for right or wrong people have strong opinions about it. It might be the most revealing stroke of them all. You can’t fake it. You can’t hide behind endurance, or muscle, or even willpower. If your rhythm is off, if your timing falters, the water tells you immediately.

Julio Zarate
Oct 6, 20254 min read


“Wax On, Game On: What Mr. Miyagi Teaches Us About Coaching, Growth, and Resilience”
When we think of iconic coaches in film history, Mr. Miyagi is probably not the first name that comes to mind. However, few compare to...

Julio Zarate
Jul 28, 20253 min read


Why Every Teen Athlete Should Learn the Olympic Lifts
When it comes to athletic development, there’s no shortcut to building power, speed, and strength. But there is a smarter way—and it...

Julio Zarate
Jul 14, 20253 min read


What Ninjas Taught Me About Fear: A Story for Swimmers (and Everyone Else)"
When I was a teenager, I spent my summers working as a lifeguard with one of my closest friends, David. We worked side-by-side in the...

Julio Zarate
Jul 7, 20254 min read


The unsung hero of swim performance: Core strength and stability
Often when people think of elite swimmers, they might immediately picture their powerful strokes, and streamlined bodies with a strong kick cutting through the water with picture perfect technique. But behind all these visible elements of swimming success, there's a crucial, often overlooked factor that directly impacts performance: core strength and stability

Julio Zarate
Jun 30, 20257 min read
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