Jun 22, 2026
Welcome to episode 256 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Ioannis Drymonakos, former Olympic swimmer, European record holder, World Championship finalist, and founder of Swimming Cruise.
Ioannis represented Greece at three Olympic Games, competed against legends like Michael Phelps, and became one of Greece's most successful swimmers before transitioning into entrepreneurship through sports tourism and wellness experiences in Greece.
In this episode, we spoke about:
• Competing at three Olympic Games and against Michael Phelps
• The sacrifices and realities of elite swimming
• Life after professional sport and becoming an entrepreneur
• Building Swimming Cruise and the future of sports tourism
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast
00:24 Discovering Swimming
02:17 The Road to the Olympics
04:19 Learning from Legends
06:12 The Hardest Part of Elite Sport
08:29 First Olympic Memories
10:32 Breaking a European Record
14:06 Career Highlight: World Championship Final
15:33 Dealing with Setbacks
17:07 Building Swimming Cruise
19:33 Why Poros Is Perfect
24:19 Lessons from Survivor
27:18 Open Water vs Pool Swimming
30:56 Coaching Amateur Swimmers
32:10 Growing a Sports Tourism Business
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