Freestyle and butterfly: Summer McIntosh explains how to become a record-breaking woman

Once you realised your potential, what changed in your life? From that moment on, I started paying attention to every detail of my life, both in and out of the pool. Every aspect became more professional, including my schooling.

You turned 20 in August, but you’ve already won Olympic gold medals and set records. What are your goals now? I’m delighted to have won gold medals, but there’s always more to win. I’m still aiming for new world records and more gold medals. You must never be completely satisfied, because there’s always room for improvement: my coach constantly encourages me in this regard.

Since September 2025, your coach has been Bob Bowman, legendary for his work with Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer of all time. That’s why you moved from Canada to Texas: what does this step mean for your career? It’s crucial. Today I feel that this is where I should always have been, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I grew up reading Bob’s books and following Phelps’s career; he’s always been my role model. Working with his coach himself is incredible – a dream come true: seeing every day how he organises my training and just how much he inspires me and my teammates is truly rewarding.

How do you organise your training programme? It changes every day and depends on the week. Generally, I train twice a day for about an hour and forty-five minutes, but at certain times I can train for up to five hours in total. In the past, I’ve even done up to seven hours, but with a lot of downtime between sessions. Bob is brilliant at optimising our time, making everything very efficient and avoiding unnecessary breaks between training sessions, which can be mentally draining.  

Summer McIntosh sul podio con la medaglia d’oro vinta per i 200m farfalla alle Olimpiadi di Parigi 2024. ©Ansa

What sort of diet do you follow? I consider myself very lucky because, as I burn so many calories every day, I can eat almost anything I want. I do, however, try to eat healthily, making sure I get enough carbohydrates and protein to have the energy I need for training. Every now and then I also treat myself to a sweet or a bit of chocolate.

Being so young, you’re a role model for your generation. What message would you like to convey? I absolutely love connecting with people, taking selfies, and chatting to fans and those who support me. I think it’s important to show who you really are, helping younger people realise that sporting idols aren’t out of reach. It’s great to build a connection with them and motivate them to give their best. I’d like to tell them: “If I can do it, so can you.”

You have over 530,000 followers on Instagram. What sort of content do you follow most, and, in general, how do you use social media? Fashion and food – two of my great passions – and I also use social media to keep in touch with friends and find recommendations for places and restaurants to try.

You’re an internationally renowned athlete, but also just a young woman. Reaching these heights inevitably requires sacrifices. Do you miss out on any aspects of the normal life your peers lead? Almost all my friends are swimmers or top-level athletes: we share the same lifestyle and don’t feel we’re missing out on anything in particular. Sometimes the training schedule is very demanding, but I don’t see it as a sacrifice, because this sport has given me so many opportunities, such as being able to travel a lot.  

What are your interests outside of swimming? They change quite often. Lately, I’ve really got into reading: I started by borrowing a few books and haven’t stopped since. I also love shopping and am very curious when it comes to food. That’s why I like trying out different restaurants all the time. I’ve also recently discovered the world of coffee, which I find truly fascinating. I think Houston has one of the best coffee scenes in the US, so I try to try a different one every day. Then, every now and then, I draw, or I enjoy rearranging the furniture and decorations at home. Basically, any activity that allows me to take my mind off sport is welcome.

Do you swim in open water as well? I tried it in a lake when I was at university, but swimming in the sea scares me a bit… You can’t see the bottom like you can in a swimming pool… It’s not for me.

L’Aquaracer Professional 100 Solargraph con la cassa di 28 mm di diametro in acciaio, il quadrante in madreperla con diamanti e il movimento alimentato ad energia solare. Costa 3.250 euro.

You are an ambassador for a watch brand with a long-standing association with top-level sport, such as Tag Heuer. What is your relationship with time, both in competition and in everyday life? My whole life revolves around time. As an athlete, I have to organise my time to train, prepare as well as possible before getting into the water, and plan every moment of the day from the moment I wake up. In my sport, it’s all about time: there can be just a fraction of a second’s difference between a gold and a silver medal. Time governs my life, but at the same time I have to learn to govern it.

Versione di Aquaracer Professional 100 Solargraph con cassa in acciaio, quadrante blu con diamanti

What do you like about watches? I think they’re clever accessories and functional pieces of jewellery. They’re lovely to wear, but at the same time they provide you with useful information. They’re stylish, practical and versatile. My favourite is the Tag Heuer Aquaracer because, as the name suggests, it’s suited to the water: just like me. It’s a model that combines performance and elegance, perfectly reflecting my personality: as an athlete, I’m very focused on performance, but I also love beauty, fashion and shopping.