Anastasia: Happy New Year. Resolutions holding strong? Whatever your goals, I'll tell you, you won't be catching today's guest in the pool. Josh Orlando is Canada's male swimmer of the year, three years running. He has World Aquatics medals, FINA World medals, a Commonwealth championship, and he is the first black Canadian swimmer to hold a number of international distinctions. To top it off, Scarborough's new hero is still just 21 years old.

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It's player's own voice. I'm Anastasia Bucsis.

Buddy. You had a huge season. Congratulations. I mean, you were amazing at world championships. Let's just start with an easy one. Rose and Thorn of the past year?

Josh Liendo: I'll definitely say, the rose: I think just the season in general, obviously being at Florida, being able to have a good NCAA championships, but then also going out of the trials and then still being able to get it done, you know, in a different pool. A long course immediately after and that, you know, making the team and then carrying that through the worlds and obviously being able to medal, I'll say that's definitely the rose.

The Thorn would definitely be a new training environment, new group, new things to get used to. I wasn't with you know, in previous years. I was with my coach, that would be with me at the at the meet, like at the Worlds. But this year was a little different. The program was different for me. And then I had to come back into, back with the Canadian environment and just kind of with my preparation, I felt like it didn't, it wasn't where I needed it to be. So first half of the meet wasn't wasn't where I felt I should be or based on my training or anything like that wasn't where I wanted to be. That first half of the meet, but I was still happy that I got to, you know, still come back and have a good performance at the end.

Anastasia: So what do you ultimately take out of this year going into Paris?

Josh Liendo: I learned so much from this year and it's honestly all the… I just take it into my training, basically. Now the the way I train. I just kind of train smarter, have more specific details in mind and more race specific things I want to do. When a big meet comes. So I'm just definitely saying that experience definitely helped me and I'm a lot smarter going in this year than I was going in before.

Anastasia: Yeah, well you just competed at the U.S. Open too. Pretty sweet, Nice little podium with you and Kharun and Dressel, of course. So you've landed on your feet really well. There's some big French stars, too, and obviously they're going to be a big deal in Paris as well. pretty cool.

Josh Liendo: Yeah.

Anastasia: The atmosphere on the pool deck is going to be unbelievable.

Josh Liendo: Yeah, it's definitely exciting because, you know, Tokyo, we got that kind of taken away. So it's going to be fun, get some fans in the stands and obviously kind of just bring that kind of excitement, that environment, that Olympics should be.

Anastasia: I don't even know if I'm supposed to say this because I'm on the media side of things. But I'll quickly say, I had the privilege of competing in Vancouver. And the one thing that was like the most overwhelming was just the noise, when a Canadian raced, when I raced. And so just be wary of that man because it is so over-the-top loud when a French athlete is going to be racing.

Josh Liendo: Oh, yeah. I felt I felt like a little bit of that. I would say Budapest whenever, like (Kristóf) Milák or, any Hungarian, you would definitely hear it. And I think South Korea, my first, my first senior team. Like whenever a Korean's going, the crowd would be getting loud. So yeah, I've had little, little glances. But definitely Paris is going to be, you know, they're going to be cheering for the other guys.

Anastasia: So it's going to be amazing. And even just like Team Canada itself, Summer Ledecky, Titmus …some of the greatest showdowns I think are going to happen in the pool. So excited.

Josh Liendo: Yeah, Definitely. I mean, intense. Yeah, it's going to be interesting. Even in a lot of events. It's all so close. Like there's a lot of events where it's like really close. So it's going to be it's going to be some good racing.

Anastasia: So a little birdy, I'll name her of course Brittany MacLean, she says-what's so impressive about Josh is that a lot of folks actually kind of struggle in their freshman year whether you're a high performance athlete or not. Freshman year is scary, but you are absolutely in the pocket. What's helped you get there?

Josh Liendo: I don't know. I kind of came in and my goal, I didn't put any crazy expectations on myself. Obviously, when you move into college and NCAA it's a completely different pool. It's a, you know, short course yards instead of long course metres. So it's completely different. So I didn't really put a lot of expectation on myself. I mean, honestly, the only benchmark I had were like the records because I was like, Oh, what's the record? That's kind of, the only benchmark I had because I didn't know what a fast time was technically, like I didn't really understand what it meant because it was so different from what I was used to seeing.

So I was literally just looking at what a record was like, I don't know if that was good, but especially to start out. But that's why I was looking at it and that's kind of the standard that I wanted to hold myself to, to start. And I mean, I just I just worked hard. Obviously. I was put in an environment where other people also worked hard and people were able to push me. And I think it was definitely the right environment for me, a good a good team atmosphere. A bunch of people that, you know, have done great things in the NCAA and and on the world stage. So I was just put in a good spot, honestly, to succeed.

Anastasia: You are training alongside Caleb Dressel, which is a pretty sweet training partner, I would have to assume. Do you guys have much in common?

Josh Liendo: Yeah, we're both pretty competitive. I would say. we have that in common. But yeah, I mean, we both love it. Definitely both love the weight room. I like the weight room. And he's definitely good in the weight room. But yeah, I mean, we both love the sport and we're both looking to improve, so it's kind of cool to have somebody to bounce ideas off of or someone you can match up with in practice all the time. So yeah, I'll definitely say it's, it's been it's been pretty good having him as a training partner.

Anastasia: I just saw an interview where he said, like 'we be racing every single day against each other'. But there has to be days where you're thinking, Oh my gosh, like, let's just take it at 80%.

Josh Liendo: Yeah. I think this is the thing. Whenever one of us wants to take it 80% the other persons going to be feeling good. It's just like, you're not going to…sometimes you both feel good at the same time. Sometimes one person is not feeling as good. But there's just that standard that we kind of set in that we're just always going at it. And it's kind of good to have him because there's just no days off. And if both of us are feeling bad, you're going to have somebody else in the group that's going to be going fast!

So there's really there's no day where you can just not not give it everything and still be beating people. And still I think he said like, there's nobody in the group that can just take an off day just because of how well everyone trains.

Anastasia: That's a pretty nice little environment to be in, though. Head coach Anthony Nesty, 1988, 100 fly Olympic champion. So he's got a pretty sweet little resume. What's clicking there?

Josh Liendo: He knows what's up. He knows he knows how it goes. He knows the ins and outs. It's nice to have a coach that's been in that spot that obviously knows what it's like and he's able to kind of translate that into his coaching and also really good advice because he's had the experience. So he's definitely just someone that's really nice to take knowledge from, you know, he's chill, he's laid back and it's just kind of cool to have that type of person as your coach.

Anastasia: Yeah, that is good. You kind of need to have someone that's a little bit laid back, especially when you have a few superstars in a training group because, it can just keep ratcheting up, you know?

Josh Liendo: Yeah. Like he's, he's tough. He has his times where he's like, he is on you. Like you got to get on it. But for the most part, if you really get to know Nesty like he's just chill. He's definitely a pretty cool guy and a good person to be around.

Anastasia: Yeah. What do you take in in school?

Josh Liendo: Right now, this semester wasn't too bad, but I'm looking at health, going into the health side. Right now, my major is health education behaviour. And kind of go to nursing from there or to our physical, be a physical trainer. That's kind of like the fields. It's a wide range. I kind of like the course work of it. It's pretty fun. One of my friends is actually saying the same major, Jake Mitchell, and he wants to go into nursing. But yeah, that's kind of where I'm at right now in terms of terms of school and what I what I want to pursue.

Anastasia: Good for you. I see. I don't like needles enough. Like, I could never be a nurse.

Josh Liendo: Yeah. I don't know about a nurse. Like, I've definitely been thinking about it. Everyone says it's a good occupation, but for me, I'm just still trying to figure out if… I know, like some other people, Kieran Smith, he's taking physiology and kinesiology and some people are look at going to PT school, so there's a lot of … I know I want to go that route, just kind of do something that would be able to keep me around sport. I think that's the kind of way that I'm looking.

Anastasia: Do you like taking school? Like is it a little bit of a reprieve or refuge from just thinking about laps all day, every day?

Josh Liendo: Sometimes it's good, especially like recently when you got exams. It gets tough. Yeah, the training ramps up and then also the school ramps up because you got exams. So that part gets a little tough. But yeah, sometimes it's nice to not focus on swimming because I can get pretty, you know, just like focus on every little detail. And sometimes it's good to just forget about it and just kind of have your own, have your mind just shift somewhere else for a little bit. So yeah.

Anastasia: 100%. I remember 2010, I was so stressed and I was taking a course on ancient Egypt and I was like, oh, this is the best. I wasn't thinking about lap times. I wasn't, you know, I could leave practice at the door. I actually think it was a big factor in keeping me just steady Eddie

Josh Liendo: Yeah.

Anastasia: I also heard you're a big fan of The Swamp.. You love football. Are you, like, second guessing your career choices right now?

Josh Liendo: (Laughs) I mean, yeah, it's…Going to games are still super fun. Like, I still enjoy it a lot. I just like the atmosphere of being in the swamp. Being in that stadium is crazy. Like, I'm. I'm glad that I chose that. I like the atmosphere is always a good time. But yeah, I mean, I, I love it. Like it's, it's great. And I definitely love football. I love watching football. I'm definitely one of the guys in the stands going crazy when a big play happens. So, yeah, I mean, I'm definitely enjoying it a lot.

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Anastasia: You're originally, born in Scarborough, but spent a lot of your earlier years in Trinidad.

Josh Liendo: Yeah.

Anastasia: Would you have been a swimmer if you weren't growing up next to an ocean?

Josh Liendo: I don't know. That's a very good question. My dad loves baseball. My dad's one of those huge baseball fanatics. Could have been playing baseball. I don't know. Obviously, I like football, but I feel like if I had ended up growing up in Canada, I probably wouldn't go for... I might have done baseball. But yeah, I'm not too sure. Swimming was kind of, you know, just for a water safety to start and then they kind of build up from there. But it's a pretty good question. I could have been doing anything. Baseball. Basketball. You never know.

Anastasia: Were you always good at swimming?

Josh Liendo: Yeah, I would say so. My first swim lesson. One of the, the person that was running it was, kind of noticed that I just wasn't afraid. Wasn't afraid to put my head under, like go down. So they said, you should put your kid in swimming because all the kids were like, afraid to just jump in initially. And apparently I wasn't. Which is weird because I was scared of the ocean. But if it was a pool, I was good.

Anastasia: Do you get back to Trinidad a lot? I mean, that's a pretty lovely place to call a second home.

Josh Liendo: Yeah, I haven't been since maybe 2018. It's been a bit of a while. Hopefully after this year I'll be able to go. But yeah, it's definitely been too long. I need to go back because I still know people from…some of the people on the national team are people that I've training trained with. So it would be nice to to go back there and just, just see it again.

Anastasia: Yeah. Maybe decompress after the Olympics.

Josh Liendo: Yeah, for sure.

Anastasia: Do you still have family there? Like what do you miss most of it?

Josh Liendo: I just miss. Yeah, I still have some family there, but I definitely miss just the culture. It's laid back. It's just island life. I honestly miss out on life sometimes, and it's normal. It's kind of like here [in Florida]. It's warm all the time. Beaches are always close like that. That kind of beach life I definitely miss.

Anastasia: I've never gone to Trinidad and I feel sorry for myself because I actually have a cousin that's from there. But I was just in the Bahamas and they got me with their sky juice. Like as soon as I have that very potent gin based drink, I was like, I love island life. I was there.

Josh Liendo: It's good. Yeah, it'll be nice now because I'm a little older. I could probably enjoy a lot more. When I was a kid, I was just kind of running around. But I kind of want to go back now to see what it's like so I can get like a full experience.

Anastasia: Absolutely. What do you, What are you into outside of outside of sports? I know you play the cello. Is music still like a big part of your life?

Josh Liendo: Yeah. I mean, I love music. One of my roommates, actually. He's, um. He makes beats, and he's been, showing me kind of some of the stuff he does, that's his kind of thing. He can also play guitar, you know, I play guitar. I haven't played cello, or I play the stand up bass. I used to be the stand up bass in high school. I haven't played those in a while just because I haven't been able to buy it. Like, first of all, getting it and then being able to store it somewhere would be pretty difficult.

But definitely I want to look into that as I get settled. And yeah, music, it's definitely something great just to, pass time and not be on your phone all the time. I like music. Well, yeah, one of my roommates, he likes making beats, he's from Lithuania. He's made the team for Paris. He's a breaststroker and he swims out of Florida.

Anastasia: You just like you could be a household of swimmers and musicians. You can make your own band. Yeah.

Josh Liendo: My roommate's also. My other roommates got a piano, so. Yeah, we know.

Anastasia: You could be swimming's version of the Spice Girls. Like, come on, this is $1,000,000 idea.

Josh Liendo: Yeah we'll see if practice doesn't take up too much time.

Anastasia: I had the privilege of covering the World Aquatics Championships this past summer. And yeah, you come out with your headphones on. What do you usually listen to before race?

Josh Liendo: Probably just rap. I need something to get the blood flowing, to get me hyped up. Meek Mill. Um, stuff like that. I listen to old rap. DMX Just something that wakes you up. That's definitely what we listen to before I get in, something to get me in the zone. Sometimes I have music, sometimes I don't. It's not something that I need to have, more like ritual or anything, but definitely on the bus ride there or, you know, warming up. I'll have those headphones in that kind of zone.

Anastasia: I yeah, it was a ritual for me for sure. I always had to laugh though, because I'd be like warming up, like, truly, rinsing my cottage cheese, eating salads without extra virgin olive oil. You know what I mean? Like the peak of fitness and the music I'd be listening to would be like, "smoke weed every day". I'd be like, this is the furthest thing from my life, but it's getting me in the zone.

Josh Liendo: Yeah, you just. Yeah, whatever. Whatever it takes. Whatever you need to get into the zone. I think. Something to get the blood flowing, you know.

Anastasia: Get the blood flowing. Yeah. You have a real presence about you. You come across as a very, very confident, just grounded human being. Where, where do you think that comes from?

Josh Liendo: I'd have to say my parents. That kind of confidence, I'd say comes from my dad. Definitely. Growing up, he definitely instilled that in me and taught me to be confident in myself and to believe in myself, not doubt myself. Same with my mom, she also taught me, you know, stay humble. Just remember the work that it took to get there and where you came from and always be humble. So kind of that that was a nice, nice mix that I think they instilled in me from when I was really young.

Anastasia: I always found it easier to be confident when I was happy in my own skin. Where are you happiest?

Josh Liendo: I'm happiest , I guess I should say when I'm competing. Like, that's just something I love. I kind of love the rush of competing. I don't like losing though, so, there's like, a balance but even still, like, even when even when it doesn't go the best. I love the kind of adrenaline rush you get from competing. And that's kind of what brings me joy.

Anastasia: Well, that's a good quality because you're in a racing sport.

Josh Liendo: Yeah. Yeah.

Anastasia: So when you play like Nintendo Switch, do you just love Mario Kart? Because I truly am that person. Like even my video games. They just have to be racing all the time.

Josh Liendo: Yes. Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. We were playing Mario baseball recently. Yeah, just any game, Call of duty, anything where you could compete. Talk a little trash too. Yeah. I mean, we have a bunch of guys here that are gaming right now. They're like, they're building a mac downstairs. They're building a PC set up right now for one of my roommates. They're just…

Anastasia: Okay, so you guys are becoming the Spice Girls and, like, the next Steve Jobs.

Josh Liendo: Yeah. Yeah. So, two of my roommates, one is Eric Brown, he was at the world champs, and then the other is from Pennsylvania. He's the one with a piano. They're both in mechanical engineering, computer science. So they are the brains. Me and Alex, we're like, you guys could take the hard school, do that stuff. We'll chill out. We won't go too crazy. But yeah, they're the geniuses. So they will be the ones building computers and setting up monitors and all that stuff. And I'm just looking. "Hey that's cool. I have no idea what's going on, but it looks pretty cool."

Anastasia: That is cool, though. And I would imagine that they understand the ebbs and flows of being an athlete pretty darn well

Josh Liendo: Yeah.

Anastasia: You know, sometimes it's hard to find your words when someone has a bad race, but I'm guessing they get it.

Josh Liendo: Yeah. Yeah, they do. I mean, yeah, it's I feel like just like another testament to being here. Like, I have great roommates. Obviously a good environment. And yeah, it's just making it a lot more enjoyable to be down here.

Anastasia: That's very cool. You have done so much for so many in the pool outside of the pool because you're of course a key figure in representation in sport. Is that a responsibility or is that a privilege for you or does that ebb and flow?

Josh Liendo: Yeah, I definitely say, you know, ebb and flow. It's definitely a bit of both. Like, you feel responsibility, but at the same time, it's not like a ton of pressure. Like when I'm up there, I'm thinking I'll just race, just have fun and just compete. It's something that I love to do. Obviously the sense of pride and being able to to represent and show people that you can do anything you want. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or what any preconception is. You just got to go out there and do what you want. And if you believe in something, then you know you can achieve it. Just make sure that you're willing to put in the work to go and do it.

Anastasia: Talking about work. What is the thing that makes you happiest in the process in the lead up to Paris?

Josh Liendo: The small victories, just like getting the little things right. Just because right now I'm getting to a point where it's just little details that I got to focus on. Like, I know I can work hard. I know I can do some some things right. But it's just little details that I get down and yeah just whenever I'm able to nail little things that I want to focus on that I kind of set my mind to and I'm able to kind of, you know, just make little improvements. That definitely feels good. I'm able to apply things to my races, for instance, that, you know, that that work out exactly or not exactly,but they work out the way that I that I want them to, that I envision them working. Things that I want to take to like an Olympics, bigger meets, getting the work in practice. Getting the work at some of the meets that I've been going to. That's definitely some of the things that, you know, those small victories are something that makes me happy.

Anastasia: Boom! That's the perfect answer, buddy. I appreciate your time so much more than you know. And I know swimmers have to train like 17 times a day starting at 4 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m.. So I just really appreciate it. I know how busy you are.

Josh Liendo: Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah it is busy, especially right now that- hey,you're out of school? Let's make it worse for you! You just got to deal with working hard but I'm fine with that.

Anastasia: Thank you so much I really appreciate it.

Josh Liendo: Sweet.

Anastasia: Josh Liendo made time for us between laps at his training base in Gainesville, Florida.

Brad Middleton recorded us from the digital studio in Toronto.

There's a video version of this podcast at CBC Sports YouTube channel. Please check us out.

You can get in touch at #player's own voice. My handle is #Anastasure.

Olivia Pasquarelli edits our audio. Adam Blinov wrote our theme music. David Giddens is our producer.

Thank you so much for listening.

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