Mollie O’Callaghan might just be 20, but she is already nothing short of a global swimming sensation. And how could she not be? She has eight Olympic medals and eight World Championship titles to her name. If that doesn’t seem enough, she has won five golds at the Commonwealth Games. However, despite the success, Mollie seems to be facing struggles beyond the pool. In a recent candid conversation with Swim Swam, she went on to say, “It’s a hard one that I’m still working on, and I’m still trying to improve and learn from.”

So what exactly does someone who won three golds at the Paris Olympics struggle with? The answer is, unfortunately, self-doubt. Yes, the swimmer who made the Olympic record in the women’s 200m freestyle deals with doubt. “It does kill your confidence a little bit when, like, you know, you’re so self-critical,” she admits. She went on to talk about the constant internal battle of doubt that has led her to question her training and performance despite winning.

Reflecting on the same, Mollie went on to say, “You doubt yourself so much because there’s been a lot of blocks in this lead up that. I’ve had moments where I’m like, ‘Am I able to do this?’ Like, I don’t, you know, think like my training’s good enough, even though it was and it was on like standard because I’m always striving to that next level.” Each win comes with the weight of expectation, leaving her to wonder what she can achieve next and if she’s truly living up to her potential. But what seems to pile on is the unknown.

“I’m like, you don’t know what the others are doing. And sometimes, like, you know, the unknown kind of scares us,” said Mollie O’Callaghan. Imagine standing at the 100m butterfly finals pool, facing the unknown level of competition ahead. At the eleventh hour, you might just get hit with a challenge you never saw coming! While doubt certainly looms at large like the norm, it isn’t the worst of it! Mollie entered the 2023 World Championships with a knee injury, carrying the heavy burden of doubt.

While the world thought she was at her worst. Guess what? She still managed to secure six medals. So, how did Mollie O’Callaghan manage to do that? “I’ve just gotten to the point where I just continuously doubt myself and what I’ve done in training. And, you know, I think it can be such a negative thing, but also can be such a positive thing,” said Mollie. In 2023, it sure was a good thing! However, she went on to add, “I’m still working on, and I’m still trying to improve.” However, she isn’t alone on this journey of learning.

Despite it all, Mollie O’Callaghan finds comfort in another legend!

Mollie O’Callaghan is not traversing the fatiguing fields of self-doubt alone. She has found her solace in another fellow swimming legend, Kaylee McKeown, the five-time Olympic gold medalist. “Being able to be in the room with like rooming with Kaylee in the same apartment to seeing her and talking to her and being open about this stuff” seems to have really helped Mollie. Kaylee herself, over the years, has been very open about her struggles with doubt.

As Kaylee herself puts it, “I struggle as an athlete with confidence quite a lot. I’ve been training the best whenever I have, you know, kind of get those those little doubts that creep in every now and then.” Both swimmers seem to find themselves looking at their performance through the rearview mirrors of doubt. But they have both been each other’s support system through it all.

Talking about the same, Mollie added, “To be able to watch what she achieves under those moments where she’s so self-critical and all that. It gives me, like, confidence; it kind of boosts my confidence. But at the same time, it’s a bit weird, but to see her do that and succeed really makes me wonder, like, ‘Oh, I’m capable of doing that too.’ Like I’m going to learn from what she’s done and achieved.” And Mollie sure is!

While Kaylee’s Olympic medal count stands at nine at 23 years of age, Mollie is not far behind. Mollie, at 20, has eight Olympic medals to her name. The medal tally shows that the two are on a journey to swimming greatness. Along the way, they have built a strong camaraderie. As Mollie likes to put it, “I really look up to Kaylee, like, you know, we’re best friends, and we both relate to each other so much.”

As the two navigate the waters of self-doubt, there is one thing that is undoubtedly clear. Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown are embracing their path to greatness. And they refuse to let doubt stand in the way of their goals! No matter how hard it may seem.