Phillip Seidler to launch own book

Olympian and now author Phillip Seidler is set to launch his book, Swimming Thousands of Miles Upstream, this Friday at The Delight Hotel in Swakopmund.Seidler explained that the book covers the ups and downs of his journey to his first Olympics.“It also represents coming from Namibia, specifically Swakopmund, and proving that it’s possible to achieve great things without having to train abroad. As a Namibian, you can stay here, train here, and still make it. If I could make it, with my mom as my coach, then anyone can—if they work hard and have the discipline over time. That&#039;s what the book is all about.”He says that the book can be described as a true ‘pick-me-up.’“When I feel demotivated, especially after coming down from the high of the Olympics to normal life, I read parts of my book to regain motivation. Then I get back to swimming and training.”It took Seidler two years to write the book, and almost a year to edit it and get to the final product.“Writing came naturally. Even though I’m dyslexic, I’m a good writer. I’ve always written down my emotions, almost like a diary.”The launch is set for 18:30 at The Delight Hotel in Swakopmund.Coming from the 2024 Paris Olympics, Seidler says that it’s important to compare his two Olympic experiences.“At the Tokyo Olympics, we had strict COVID regulations, so the overall experience wasn’t as great, but I had my best results—16th out of 27 swimmers, which was a big achievement since I was ranked near the bottom and was very young. This year, however, the experience was much better because there were no COVID restrictions. I got to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies, and there was an audience cheering us on. Walking out as the first swimmer with 200 people in the crowd, seeing the Namibian flag—it gave me goose bumps. Unfortunately, as many know, I didn’t finish my race. About 400 meters in, while swimming against a strong current, I was accidentally pushed into a buoy by other competitors. This unexpected incident resulted in a tear in my shoulder blade muscle, reducing my power from 100% to just 20%. Despite the pain, I tried to continue, but the swelling compressed a nerve, causing me to lose full function of my hand. At the 6-kilometer mark, I wasn’t making any progress against the current. My safety assistant eventually had to stop me because I was stationary. I had to be pulled out and taken to the medical tent, where scans revealed the extent of the damage. The doctors said I was lucky to have been forced to stop, as continuing could have caused permanent damage.”Seidler said that the hardest part was feeling like he let Namibia and his team down.“But, deep down, I knew I gave it my all, and it was just something beyond my control. My Olympic family and team in Namibia were incredibly supportive, reminding me that this is just part of being a professional athlete—you have highs and lows. That motivated me to be even hungrier for the future.”“There’s a chapter in my current book about the Olympic qualifier where I almost pushed myself beyond my limit. It’s a very interesting and motivational read.”Seidler’s book can be bought directly from him.“My contact details are 081 731 4434. You can also order from my website, teamflippy.com, and I’ll personally deliver it to your doorstep. Additionally, you can reach out to me on Facebook (Philip Seidler) or Instagram (@seidler_philip).”

Phillip Seidler to launch own book

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Republikein 2025-11-03

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Phillip Seidler to launch own book

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Republikein 2025-11-03

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