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Missy Franklin Explains Her Shoulder Problems: GMM presented by SwimOutlet.com

Gold Medal Minute presented by SwimOutlet.comFive-time Olympic gold medalist, Missy Franklin, was featured in People Magazine where she was quoted:

“…my shoulders are in so much pain that I can maybe hop in the pool and swim easy for 20, 30 minutes, but that’s about as much as my old broken shoulders can handle at this point.”

SwimSwam picked up the story and ran a report. The deluge of traffic made me worry the site might crash. It didn’t, but I couldn’t figure out what the fuss was all about. Missy’s shoulder problems was old news, and, frankly, not a big surprise.  Elites with long careers often experience some level of shoulder issue they have to manage in retirement. Anyway, Missy was scheduled to come on the podcast for another topic, and I asked her to put the whole situation in her own words–which she did.

Missy catches us up on her life and her mission now, which is to support pools reopening safely. Specifically, as a USA Swimming Foundation Ambassador, Missy advocates the safe reopening of learn to swim programs.  A lot of parents are concerned about taking their kids to lessons to learn how to swim, and it is important to be armed with the right information about how to gain this lifesaving skills during the pandemic. For more information go here.

Follow Missy Franklin on Instagram here.

Follow Missy Franklin on Twitter here.

Like Missy Franklin on Facebook here.

Follow Gold Medal Mel Stewart on Instagram here.

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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

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ab88
4 years ago

gee.. a random missy franklin post has more comments than ISL matches.. she is still very loved 🙂

Corn Pop
4 years ago

Last year at the bay , I spoke to another swimmer who was in his 80s . He had swum every day for 50 years but finally his shoulder musculature was no longer able to support freestyle. I suggested Breastroke but he said that was for old people.

Guerra
4 years ago

If Missy would have gone to Indiana University to swim for The GOAT, Ray Looze, she would not have ever had shoulder problems and would be winning championships and medals and breaking records right now. #goatcoachraylooze, #iunumber1, #iuwillwinthebigteninfootball

Admin
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

Mel, you must be new here ;-).

Guerra
Reply to  Guerra
4 years ago

Mel, Did you show respect and call Ray “The GOAT” when he was your teammate?

Last edited 4 years ago by Guerra
Khachaturian
Reply to  Guerra
4 years ago

Guerra strikes again… I bet he voted Ray for president

Guerra
Reply to  Khachaturian
4 years ago

No. For selfish reasons, I want the Indiana AD, Fred Glass, to hire Ray as the basketball coach. Then we would always beat Michigan, OSU, Purdue, Wisconsin and all the others in basketball just like we do already in swimming. I’m hoping to get a meeting with Fred next week. #rayloozegoatcoach, #iunumber1, #hoosierfootballwillwinthebigten2020

Hswimmer
4 years ago

Dislike all you want, just spitting facts. The more you take care of your body and focus on technique, less shoulder problems! It’s not rocket science.

ATP
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

Agree! I have coached for 40+yrs with an MS Ex Phys at all levels (summer league to college), including Olympians. Not one single shoulder issue in now hundreds of athletes. Technique, technique, technique…and proper strength work to maintain proper muscle balance.

Big Kicker
Reply to  ATP
4 years ago

Totally. If only these Olympians and world-class athletes worked more on technique and strength work…

Guerra
Reply to  ATP
4 years ago

Pfft!!!

Hswimmer
Reply to  ATP
4 years ago

Thank you

collegeswimmer
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

You were slow stop talking

Hswimmer
Reply to  collegeswimmer
4 years ago

Lol!

Crawler
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

On the other hand, Thorpe had the smoothest looking free style and needed shoulder replacement…

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Crawler
4 years ago

Thorpes was related to a car crash I think. Not saying the thousands of meters crawl didn’t contribute.

torchbearer
Reply to  Crawler
4 years ago

Thorpe got a nasty infection I think post-op…thats what lead to the replacement…

Hswimmer
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

LOL not saying mine is pretty, but it doesn’t hurt.

Ferb
4 years ago

Is this the correct video that was supposed to accompany this story? It seems to be from around 2017, and very outdated in terms of her current swimming status.

Mohamad
4 years ago

I loe swiming but coid 19 offfffff

leisurely1:29
Reply to  Mohamad
4 years ago

fun fact: the number of likes on your comment = your age

Wahooswimfan
4 years ago

Unfortunately, shoulder problems persist for many former swimmers – as I approach age 70, I still experience the same shoulder pain that first developed as a high school swimmer – some days I cannot lift one arm above shoulder level. An orthopedist still have no cure.

Hswimmer
4 years ago

Take care of your body properly and it won’t happen. I’ve been swimming for years and never have had a shoulder problem.

eagleswim
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

this is like the 85 year old smoker who says “smoking doesn’t give you cancer, look at me!”

everyone’s body is different.

Lbswim
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

Sounds like you haven’t been working hard enough…

Hswimmer
Reply to  Lbswim
4 years ago

Went best times every year throughout college swimming!

Swimmer
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

We look forward to your multiple Olympic and World golds. Then we can do a fair comparison.

sscommentor
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

hardooooo

Togger
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

We’re you swimming at a world class level, and training accordingly, from 15 onwards? If not, I don’t think this is really comparable.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Togger
4 years ago

Collegiate level so, close. They have high class trainers at cal right?

Jimbo
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

20 bucks this guy was either a walk on at a small d3 college. Or on a college club team where they coach themselves

Hswimmer
Reply to  Jimbo
4 years ago

Division 2 and not a club team!:)

Dudeman
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

So not even close in reality

He Said What?
Reply to  Dudeman
4 years ago

The smugness is what is bothersome. You can hear the gleeful laugh with every single reply back.

Togger
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

I see below you were at Div 2 and above that you set PBs each year. Two things:

1) I think we can safely assume that for you bettering your high school PB wouldn’t require you to re-set a World Record.

2) Div 2, whilst a high standard and hard work, is not comparable to a mid-tier power 5 team. It’s not remotely comparable to an elite program like Cal and it’s a different planet to targeting the Olympics within an elite program like Cal.

https://staging.swimswam.com/a-man-among-gods-d3-swimmer-training-with-a-d1-team/

DravenOP
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

Took care of my body, did everything right, swam at a very high level and still ended up with lifelong shoulder problems (distance swimmer). Your experience does not reflect others.

Xman
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

Mel do you have trouble with lifting things over your shoulders, or doing things that involve reaching?

I don’t really have shoulder problems but if I have to lift something more then 15 pounds over my head my left shoulder wont hold it for too long. Also when I do household tasks like cleaning the ceiling fans, changing filters around the house, and putting up Christmas lights, the next morning I wake up and feel like I swam a straight 5K.

There was an article where Phelps said that was one of his reasons for not wanting to swim past Rio.

John M Walgast
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

Consider yourself lucky

John
Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

Back to the bathtub grandpa

Reply to  Hswimmer
4 years ago

I love this one! Swim at the National or even college level and still say the same thing? When you swim 10,000 in a practice over and over please let me know and others how nothing happens. Unless you are 1 in a million you will get some shoulder issues along the way…or elbow issues. It can be the price you pay for swimming miles and miles…Tom Jager was a sprinter and he has them….

About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

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