Sweating the Small Stuff

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With a background in pharmacology, physiology, and chemistry, Edward H. Nessel has a unique approach to training swimmers. “My philosophy is scientific, not athletic,” he says. “I sweat the details and take nothing for granted. I never assume the athlete knows what to do.”

Illustration by Daniel Baxter

The room is silent. Peppermint aromatherapy fills the air. Breathing is controlled. Eyes are closed.

This isn’t a soothing day spa or yoga class; it’s the atmosphere that acclaimed U.S. Masters Swimming coach Edward H. Nessel has set for countless elite swimmers—including six Olympians—during his 50-year career.

In these all-important “psych sessions,” Nessel PHARM’68 guides his swimmers through a visualization of their upcoming race—everything from hearing their name announced and approaching the block to diving into the water. He uses peppermint because his research tells him it promotes concentration, and he invites candor from his athletes to talk about fears and concerns. “They have enough trust in me to open up,” he says. “They’re afraid to lose, and some of them are afraid to win.”

With a background in pharmacology, physiology, and chemistry, Nessel has a unique approach to training, which he documented in his book, Keeping the Athlete Healthy (Sage Words Publishing, 2014). “My philosophy is scientific, not athletic,” he says. “I sweat the details and take nothing for granted. I never assume the athlete knows what to do.”

Diets are revamped to include an apple and two bananas daily, lots of eggs, and maybe even Nessel’s own anti-inflammatory “Florida cocktail” of watermelon, pineapple, and fresh cherries. Fluid intake is monitored. “I am constantly reminding them to drink before they’re thirsty and after they’re not,” he says. Breathing is recalibrated, from the naturally quick and shallow breaths that come from exercise and stress to the slow and deliberate breaths that open blood vessels.

Nessel even relies on positive reinforcement tactics commonly used with youngsters, like giving little rewards for a job well done. Prizes include rubber fin key chains and Peppermint Patties, which he throws into the water “like a seal trainer at SeaWorld,” he says.

On race day, all the mental and physical preparation plays out. His swimmers pop a Listerine strip in their mouths on the way to the block, refocusing on the positive groundwork laid in the visualization process. They concentrate on slow breathing.

They dive from the starting blocks, and some of them bring home an Olympic medal.

They also help keep Nessel going. “I train every day,” he says. “It’s the swimming that’s kept me alive, and sharing what I know. Good old coach is still here. I want to be the last man standing.”