About Mark Warkentin: Mark Warkentin is an American open water swimmer and swimming coach.
There's a cardinal rule that you don't talk about sharks. If you don't see it, it's not there.
You're either an Olympian or not in swimming.
It was a downriver 10-K in the mouth of the Amazon. I won in an hour and 20 minutes. It has to be one of the fastest times ever swum. The race director said there were no piranhas in that part of the Amazon. The water was too dirty.
I couldn't beat Michael Phelps. A couple of years ago, I was racing against him and it just kinda dawned on me during the race that there was no chance I was gonna beat this guy. And so I said, if you can't beat him, find a race that he won't swim.
Some coaches are on power trips. I've never needed somebody to tell me I'm not working hard enough.
