We sit down with a true legend in the world of open water swimming, Jose Luis Larrosa. A seasoned long-distance swimmer, dedicated coach, and integral part of OCEANMAN’s family, Jose Luis brings a wealth of experience and passion to the water. Join us as we unravel the currents of his swimming career, delve into the philosophy of OCEANMAN coaching, and explore the boundless horizons of open water adventure.
Q: As a successful long-distance swimmer, what drew you to the open water?
JL: “I have been always attracted by big water environments, and I love the nature. I studied Biology and Sea Sciences and followed my passion for swimming from the pools to the open water motivated by this facts. It is just not the freedom of swimming, but enjoying every part of it in a different level when you are passionate about the science and the sport.”
Q: And how has your experience as a swimmer influenced your coaching journey?
JL: “I became swimming coach before my open water career really started to flourish. I feel that inspire, motivate and guide my swimmers into their journey to the open water swimming is a very fulfilling job and highly necessary. It is not the fact of preparing them physically but also mental and emotionally to afford their goals. I had good coaches but my source of inspiration was mainly my need to do things that challenged myself in different levels.”
Q: You’ve achieved remarkable success as a long-distance swimmer. Could you share a memorable moment from your swimming career that has left a lasting impact on you?
JL: “I have very good memories from most of the big events. I remember one of the Tabarca-Alicante 21Km races where the water temperature was quite low and I struggle so much, however I managed to complete the race and win. Also my first time in India, swimming in the Ganges 81Km race and succeed completing with a stunning winning in the overall, the crowd of more than 3000 people at the finish line and the prize award ceremony was a different level.”
Q: Can you share some advice for the swimmers that are preparing for an ULTRAOCEANMAN?
JL: “I would say, that this applies to everything in life, and is as simple as CONSISTENCY. If you maintain certain level of commitment and consistency results will come.”
Q: OCEANMAN is not just a competition; it’s a community with a broader vision. How do you see the role of coaching in fostering this sense of community among swimmers?
JL: “Coaches are an important part of OCEANMAN, we prepare coaches to been able to provide the best to any open water swimmer. Most of our coaches apart from having the best knowledge when it comes to open water coaching, they are very familiar with OCEANMAN events and their guidance is priceless to our community.”
Q: The OCEANMAN Academy is a unique initiative. Can you shed light on its purpose and the impact it aims to make in the world of open water swimming?
JL: “There are many projects under development in OCEANMAN. Our aim is to fulfill the open water scene in all aspects. The OCEANMAN Academy will bring together pool community to open water, but also provide benefits and new coaching techniques to all our community.”
Q: What motivated you to become a coach, particularly in the realm of open water swimming?
JL: “Swimming and all aquatic activities have been part of my life since I was I kid, from swimming to Open water swimming, going through life saving, water polo and even swim fins events. Even saying that initially started as a way to fund my university studies, it became another passion. However, I must say that being a coach does not finish when you complete a course, it is a career that you must commit with and keep learning and updating constantly, so it is not a job done but an ongoing development for all the time that you are coaching in your life.”
Q: How does OCEANMAN’s coaching philosophy differ from traditional swimming approaches, and what advantages does it offer to participants?
JL: “I would say that we are more pragmatic and practical. The knowledge provided covers all areas of open water swimming, coaching, swimming technique, season planning, drylands, nutrition, high performance training, video analysis, safety and risk assessment, but at the same time we provide references in terms of training sessions, programs and tests to apply, directly linked to open water preparation which unfortunately lacks in other existing courses.”
Q: What advice would you give to swimmers preparing for their first OCEANMAN race?
JL: “The SPRINT distance can be a good entry point and with a proper preparation they will be able to move to the HALF OCEANMAN and OCEANMAN distances. The key is consistency and a good coach to get them ready to enjoy our events.”
Q: Beyond coaching, you continue to actively participate in swimming events. What motivates you to take on these challenges?
JL: “I feel is a way of living, I need to have some goals to maintain the swimming trainings consistency, but at the same time, open water swimming remains my main passion in life, so travelling and explore new swimming destinations, get back to events that I swam many times and catch up with friends and community or just challenge myself with new distances or events remains a highlight in my day to day life.”
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of OCEANMAN, both as a coach and a participant?
JL: “I have been linked to OCEANMAN since was founded in 2015, and I feel that as a coach, we are reaching a great momentum with more modules added to our course, and other educational initiatives that will help the community in many different aspects like water safety, better coaching techniques, clinics, camps, school programs and more. As a participant I am looking forward to try out new destinations, new amazing water environments and being back to long time existing events to catch up with swimmers, friends and organizers, new ones and others that are part of our big family for many years.”
