#30 - Why Process Beats Outcome with Olympic Medalist Kylie Masse
Today’s guest is Olympic Medalist Kylie Masse
Today we will learn how to sustain world-class performance under rising expectations—by shifting from outcome obsession to process focus, protecting joy in training, and learning to turn the mind down when it matters most.
In today’s conversation Kylie Masse explores her path from late-developing age-grouper to world record holder and Olympic medalist. She and Dr. Wells unpack why fun and a supportive training group kept her going when results lagged, how “process over outcome” became a competitive superpower, and what a full race day really looks like. Kylie shares practical tactics for managing pressure—balancing school and sport, using music to set state, and recovering like a pro—while aiming at Worlds and the Olympics.
You will learn how elite swimmers structure heavy training loads (8–9 pool sessions/week) alongside school and life; how to recover between heats and finals (warm-down, food, rest, state reset); why focusing on process beats fixating on places and times; how Kylie uses sleep, physio, massage, and compression as a reliable recovery system.
You will discover that thinking less can help you perform more: when the preparation is done, quiet the analysis and let the body execute.
High performers often carry self-imposed pressure that sabotages execution. Kylie’s approach—focus on one thing, one session, one race—gives a repeatable way to reset after bad practices and compete freely on big stages.
Key take aways:
Process beats outcome—every day, every set.
Under pressure, think less; trust training.
Teammates and joy fuel longevity.
Warm-down, eat, rest, repeat between rounds.
Sleep is non-negotiable recovery tech.
“The more I think during my race, the more it’s harmful to me.”
Today’s Expert Guest - Olympic Medalist Kylie Masse
Kylie Masse is a Canadian backstroke specialist, five-time Olympic medalist, three-time World Champion, and former 100 m backstroke world record holder (58.10 at the 2017 World Championships—the first Canadian woman to win a swimming world title). A University of Toronto alumna and captain with the Toronto Titans (ISL), she medaled in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke at Tokyo 2020 and helped Canada to bronze in the 4×100 medley relay.
Kylie is unusually candid about keeping joy central while training at ruthless volumes. She balances academics and elite sport, uses simple tech (tempo trainer) to convert weight-room power into the water, and treats recovery (sleep, physio, massage, compression) as part of practice—not an afterthought. It’s a grounded blueprint any competitor or parent-coach can copy.
Follow Kylie Masse on Instagram & Linked In.
Check out her website.
This podcast contains advice and information relating to health and wellness. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, seek your physician’s advice before embarking on any medical program or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast / interview / article as of the date of publication. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any medical or other outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this material.
