Jan Frodeno and the Art of Retirement
It sounds simple enough: after a career that includes Olympic gold, three IRONMAN World Championship titles and countless hours in the water, you retire and enjoy life. At least, that’s the plan.
But what does one of the greatest triathletes of all time do when there’s no longer a start line waiting? When nobody is writing training plans, no races need preparing for and the calendar suddenly looks surprisingly empty?
That’s exactly the question Jan Sibbersen found himself asking. The former professional swimmer, IRONMAN swim record holder and founder of sailfish knows the situation all too well. After all, his own retirement from elite sport happened years ago. So he decides to join Jan Frodeno on his search for the perfect retirement hobby.
The mission sounds simple: find a new passion. The reality turns out to be a little more complicated.
First Attempt: Fishing
Nature. Peace and quiet. Slowing down. All things you would probably recommend to a former professional athlete after retirement. So off they go to the water. Cast a line, sit back and relax. At least in theory.
It doesn’t take long to realize that fishing may not be the answer for Jan Frodeno. While others enjoy the silence, time suddenly seems to move incredibly slowly for someone who has spent his entire life in motion. No bites. No action. No excitement.
The search continues.
Second Attempt: Chess
Maybe the answer isn’t out in nature. Maybe it’s all in the mind. Chess is often described as the game of strategists. Every move matters, every decision has consequences and every mistake can change the outcome.
Perfect conditions for an athlete who built his career on planning, discipline and tactical decision making. Yet once again, the spark refuses to appear. After a life spent swimming, cycling and running, sitting still simply doesn’t feel right.
Too quiet. Too static. Not enough movement.
Another hobby comes off the list.
Back to Where It All Started
Eventually, Jan Sibbersen asks a simple question: “Why don’t we just go swimming?”
The answer seems obvious at first. After all, Jan Frodeno had already spent decades in the water. He had counted enough laps. Logged enough training miles. Competed in enough races.
For years, the water had been part of the job. Every meter was tracked, every session had a purpose and every day followed a plan. Swimming was performance. Not leisure. Not relaxation. Not retirement.
But perhaps that was exactly the problem.
Enjoy Your Swim.
This time, everything is different.
No one is timing the session. No one is counting laps. No one is analyzing performance. There’s no qualification to earn, no race to prepare for and no personal best that needs beating.
Instead, there’s open water, good company and the simple joy of swimming. It is here that Jan Frodeno rediscovers something that can easily get lost in elite sport: the original love of being in the water.
Suddenly, it’s no longer about being faster than everyone else. It’s about being outside. Moving freely. Enjoying the freedom of open water and clearing your mind.
Swimming doesn’t always have to be training. Not every session needs a goal. Not every minute needs to be measured. Sometimes it’s enough to simply get into the water.
Just swim.
Just enjoy the moment.
What We Can Learn from Jan Frodeno
Very few people become Olympic champions. Very few win an IRONMAN World Championship. But many know what it feels like to get caught up in numbers, goals and performance metrics.
Sometimes it helps to take a step back and remember why you started in the first place. Why you get into the water early in the morning. Why you love open water swimming. Why you come out of a long swim with a smile on your face.
Maybe it’s not always about getting faster.
Maybe sometimes it’s simply about enjoying swimming again.
Jan Frodeno tried fishing. He tried chess. In the end, his search led him right back to where it all began.
Back to the water.
Not as an Olympic champion. Not as a world champion. Not as one of the greatest triathletes of all time.
Simply as a swimmer.
Enjoy your swim.
