{"podcast":{"title":"Social Kick • Swim Culture & Stories","slug":"social-kick-swim-culture-stories-462617","podcast_index_feed_id":462617,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/thesocialkick/feed.xml","website_url":"https://thesocialkick.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/5855136/Untitled_mw9tjf.jpg","author":"Social Kick","episode_count":306,"summary":"Authentic, casual and fun conversations with swimmers, by swimmers","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T04:22:36.894592+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/social-kick-swim-culture-stories-462617"},"episode":{"title":"Kacper Stokowski on Leveling Up Athlete Mentorship & The Future of NIL | Episode 293","slug":"kacper-stokowski-on-leveling-up-athlete-mentorship-the-future-of-nil-episode-293","published_at":"2026-04-18T14:17:15+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/social-kick-swim-culture-stories-462617/kacper-stokowski-on-leveling-up-athlete-mentorship-the-future-of-nil-episode-293","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/social-kick-swim-culture-stories-462617","url":"https://thesocialkick.podbean.com/e/kacper-stokowski/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/5p7dzh4rq2c5uq85/kacper_Stokowski_swim_podcast9x1dc.mp3","summary":"In this episode of the Social Kick Podcast, we welcome back NCAA Champion and Polish Olympian Kacper Stokowski. Known for his legendary celebrations and underwater dominance at NC State, Kacper is now pivoting his competitive drive into the world of sports business. We discuss his new venture, Level Up Mentorship, a platform designed to bridge the gap between young athletes and elite mentors. Kacper shares his personal journey from a young swimmer in Poland with unanswered questions to an elite athlete realizing the power of a one-on-one connection. We also get Kacper’s takes on the current state of swimming, including: The 19-Second Barrier: Why we haven't seen a 19-second 50 backstroke yet and who he’d bet on to do it. The \"Wolfpack\" Culture: Lessons learned from Braden Holloway and how swimming for \"the Diamond\" shaped his business philosophy. Monetizing the Sport: How mentorship can create revenue streams for non-revenue collegiate sports to prevent program cuts. Injury & Comeback: Kacper opens up about his recent back struggles (the \"old man problems\" of underwater specialists) and his excitement to return to the water with a smarter, higher-intensity training approach. Whether you're a parent navigating the NIL era, a young swimmer looking for a pro's perspective, or just a fan of the sport, this episode is packed with insights on how to \"Level Up.\" 0:00 - Intro: Remembering Kacper’s epic block celebration 2:08 - The 19-second 50 Backstroke: Why is it so elusive? 5:24 - Discussing the \"Swim Inflation\" and 42-second backstroke times 7:12 - Audience Questions: The art of the celebration—authentic vs. choreographed 14:31 - Breaking the unwritten rules of swimming \"decorum\" 17:05 - What is Level Up? Solving the lack of resources for young athletes 23:38 - Moving…","meta_description":"In this episode of the Social Kick Podcast, we welcome back NCAA Champion and Polish Olympian Kacper Stokowski. Known for his legendary celebrations and u…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3810,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/social-kick-swim-culture-stories-462617/episodes/kacper-stokowski-on-leveling-up-athlete-mentorship-the-future-of-nil-episode-293/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/social-kick-swim-culture-stories-462617/kacper-stokowski-on-leveling-up-athlete-mentorship-the-future-of-nil-episode-293.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}