Fewer than 50 people on the planet have completed the Oceans Seven Challenge. Putting that in perspective over 7,000 people have summited Mt. Everest , Steve “Moby” Leitch is one swim away from such being in that elite club. You can train for months and still get humbled in minutes when the ocean decides to change the rules. After swimming the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa, elite endurance athlete, Steve “Moby” Leitch, joins us to break down what makes ultra marathon open water swimming so unforgiving: funnelled currents where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, tight wind restrictions, and real-world hazards like commercial freighters.

Steve is a member of the Greenville Splash Masters in South Carolina and is coached by Carolyn Moore and Leslie Scott.

We also go deeper than one crossing. Steve shares how he returned to swimming after decades away, how 15+ years of sobriety reshaped his definition of strength, and why these Ocean Seven Challenge swims are “sweat equity” that helps fund long-term sobriety living facilities. Along the way we talk about the behind-the-scenes reality that most highlights never show: nausea, cramps, cold water, sleep struggles, and the mental handbrake that tries to pull you out before your body is actually done.

What makes this conversation special is the inspiration and the team element. Steve explains how his wife Kelly supports him on the boat with preparation, feeding, and calm communication under pressure, and why that partnership has strengthened their marriage. If you’re a masters swimmer, triathlete, or anyone searching for practical endurance training advice, you’ll take away a clear framework: train for the worst day, keep your self-talk simple, and anchor every hard stroke to a purpose bigger than the finish.

You'll hear:

• why the Strait of Gibraltar is uniquely hard with currents, wind rules, and shipping traffic
• how Steve returns to swimming after decades away and builds a life around faith, family, and sobriety
• why (Steve's wife) Kelly’s role on the boat matters and how their swim communication strengthens their marriage
• what “endurance” means beyond fitness and how training for worst-case conditions builds it
• how sprint work, strength training, mobility, and sleep support long channel swims
• mental self-talk in the pain cave and the simple reset of one stroke at a time
• English Channel and Cook Strait moments with cramps, sickness, cold, and being pushed off course
• using an honest past to help others through addiction recovery and long-term sobriety housing
• what a champion mindset means when you stop trying to fit in
• the final Ocean Seven target with Catalina and why the next swim is always the hardest

If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a comeback story, and leave us a review so more swimmers can find the show.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

What we if women treated our bodies like a gift instead of a problem to fix? And men you'll want to listen up if you have ever been asked by a woman, do I look fat? You'll get the right answer in this episode!

After swim practice, we sit down with Stephanie Havelka, a true water woman whose life in sport spans competitive swimming, Kona Ironman, outrigger canoe racing around the globe, surf ski, and even Olympic Trials kayaking. She also happens to be the founder of Sportkini, a swimwear brand built for athletic women who actually move. She's also a #1 ranked US Masters swimmer.

We talk about how a “champion mindset” transfers from one sport to the next: being coachable, staying curious, and using training as a tool for confidence. Stephanie shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Sport Kini started with sketches at 14, then took shape after a chance meeting with a top Australian swimsuit designer who taught her how to build suits that stay put, feel good, and hold up to chlorine, salt water and real adventure. If you’ve ever searched for athletic swimwear, sport bikinis, or a two piece swimsuit you can truly swim in, you’ll hear exactly what “function first” looks like.

Then we go deeper into body confidence. Stretch marks, scars, changes, and the constant background noise of “should” do not get the final say. Stephanie lays out a simple, brave approach: wear what you want, try it a little at a time if you’re nervous, and get your mind off the suit so you can get back to the sport you love. She also shares how she lost 52 pounds by lowering stress and addressing an autoimmune flare cycle, and how that shift helped her return to training and post the #1 US time in the 55–59 SCM 100 free while still seeing big room to improve.

If you know a masters swimmer, triathlete, paddler, or any active woman who needs a boost, share this conversation with them. Subscribe to Champions Mojo, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and tell us what you’re learning to embrace in your own body.

• Stephanie’s path from competitive swimming to Kona Ironman, outrigger canoe racing, surf ski and Olympic Trials kayaking
• Using a sport mindset to learn new skills, accept coaching and push through setbacks
• The long origin story of Sport Kini, from teen sketches to an Australia mentor to selling 700 suits solo
• Why athletic women need swimwear built for movement, real sizing and durable construction
• Body confidence as a practice, letting go of shame and wearing what you want
• Losing 52 pounds by lowering stress, addressing autoimmune flare-ups and making swimming fun again
• Current masters swim training, plus focusing on starts, turns and future meet goals

https://sportkini.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sportkini/

Would you consider leaving us a five star review on Apple? That's like getting a best time for us. Kelly and our team would be so grateful.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com

We talk with Chris Harris, the Warrior Maker, an elite athlete, author and speaker, who has trained Navy Seals, Green Berets and professional athletes to have tough mindsets. He says it's about mastering the space between stimulus and response so pressure will stop running your life. We break down metacognition, subconscious habit change, and race ready mindset tools that help master swimmers stay resilient and perform on purpose.

• Chris’s turning point from homelessness to a mission of “sending down the rope”
• What “warrior” means as mindset rather than combat
• Slowing down the response and dropping the need for approval
• Metacognition as a tool for real time micro adjustments
• Autopilot behaviour and why fear based patterns feel automatic
• “Critical Carl” as the subconscious firewall that blocks unfamiliar change
• Getting into theta state through meditation, hypnosis, and planned repetition
• The MetaCue method using a future memory, gratitude, and a daily cue
• Resilience built on a clear why plus acceptance of inner rivals
• Ego, insecurity, and identity shifts that can derail performance
• Endurance racing as a long stimulus response gap that demands automation
• OODA (observe, orient, decide, act) loop thinking applied to sport and execution

Chris's book, The Book of Mindset is available on Amazon.

Would you consider leaving us a five star review on Apple? That's like getting a best time for us. Kelly and our team would be so grateful.

Email us at HELLO@ChampionsMojo.com. Opinions discussed are not medical advice, please seek a medical professional for your own health concerns.

You can learn more about the Host and Founder of Champions Mojo at www.KellyPalace.com