Strong2thefinishline

🌊 🏊‍♀️OPEN WATER SWIM CLINIC – JULY 12 🏊🏾‍♂️🌊

Pacific Northwest athletes — if open water swimming raises your anxiety, fear, or frustration… this clinic was built for you.

If you struggle with:
• Fear of open water 😨
• Panic in crowds😓
• Cold water anxiety🥶
• Zigzag swimming⚡️
• Breathing issues 😮‍💨
• Getting overwhelmed when touched or bumped 🫣
• Falling behind during the swim😓

…you are not alone — and you do not have to stay there.

This clinic is designed to help you become calmer, smarter, and more confident in open water.

You will learn:
✅ Proper breathing strategies for open water
✅ How to sight correctly and swim straight
✅ How to adjust your pool stroke for open water conditions
✅ How to stay calm and controlled in crowded swims
✅ Techniques to manage anxiety before and during the swim
✅ Strategies to move from back-of-pack toward mid- or front-pack swimming

Open water success is not just fitness — it is skill, confidence, and control -

If this sounds like you, this clinic is for you.

Spots are limited and only a few remain. Sign up today here: https://www.strong2thefinishline.com/2026events

Please : If finances are preventing you from attending, please DM me privately. I never want cost to be the reason an athlete misses an opportunity to grow and become safer in the water.

IRONMAN 70.3 Tri-Cities Athletes — Let’s Get You Ready.💪💪🏻💪🏼💪🏽

Race day is closer than you think… and this course can either work for you or against you depending on how you approach it.

I’m hosting a LIVE Zoom session to break down exactly how to race IRONMAN 70.3 Tri-Cities the right way.

We’ll cover:
🏊🏊‍♀️🏊🏾‍♂️Columbia River swim (current, sighting, wetsuit choice)
Transitions (how to stay smooth and not give away free time)
🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴Bike course (terrain, effort, pacing strategy)
🏃‍♂️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃Run course (heat management, pacing, mindset)

✅Logistics + accommodations
✅How to race smart from start to finish

📅 Monday, May 18⏰ 6:30 – 8:00 PM📍 Live on Zoom

If you want to show up confident and in control on race day — this is for you.

Comment “IN” below and I’ll send you the Zoom link directly.

— Coach Marques GarciaStrong2theFinishLine

Every now and then, a new athlete comes in and quietly sets the tone for what commitment really looks like.

— this is your shoutout.

No noise. No shortcuts. Just discipline.

A quiet warrior who shows up, asks the right questions, and finds solutions. That’s what makes a coachable athlete… and honestly, that’s a coach’s dream.

What stands out the most? Consistency. Session after session, he’s putting in the work and following the plan without fail.

And here’s the part that should get your attention…

He’s never done a triathlon before.

But I’ll say it now — I have zero doubt he’s going to succeed.

Proud of you, Alex. Let’s go all the way, my friend.

Do you struggle in Open Water?
Swim extra distance than your race requires ?
Do you zigzag and don’t know how to sight properly ?
How about breathing ? Do you tire quickly or struggle to finish the distance ?
I got you covered!
Join my OWS Clinic on July 12th! @ Lake Sammamish State Park.

I am a qualified and certified triathlon coach and a veteran triathlete and open water swim instructor. I have done over 80 races and going into my third decade as a competitive athlete. I have been where you are . I know the dangers, fears and anxieties of open water. Learn from me. But I cannot come to you - you need to sign up so I can help you .
If you cannot afford this clinic , please DM me and I will send you a link to sign up for free . I want to help you .

Join my clinic .

To qualify :

1- Ability to swim at least 20-45 minutes non-stop. (This is not a beginner tutorial ) you have to know how to swim .✅

2- Bring an OWS buoy. No buoy, no participation. Safety first .✅✅

3- 18 years +✅

What you’ll learn:

• How to eliminate zig-zagging
• How to sight properly without killing momentum
• How to improve stroke efficiency in open water
• How to breathe better under pressure
• How to swim in crowded conditions without panic
• How to reduce anxiety and stay in control
• How to improve your overall race experience from the first stroke. Link in bio ⬆️ or copy and paste ⬇️

Here’s the link : https://www.strong2thefinishline.com/imtricitiesevents

CDA! ❤️🎊💕💪. There’s something about this course that keeps calling me back.

This photo was taken in June 2017, just before I stepped into the waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene for the first time. I didn’t know then how many times I’d return… how many lessons, battles, and breakthroughs this course would give me.🎊

I’ve been back again and again — even taking on the Full IRONMAN here. 💪

This course is beautiful… but don’t get it twisted, it will test you. 😓. Lake CDA can be choppy, cold, and intimidating. But for me, the swim here has always been a privilege — some days smooth, some days tough, all days meaningful.

This June 21st will be my 7th time toeing the line here. And this time, I get to do it alongside my athletes. What a privilege 🙏🏽

Another opportunity. Another challenge. Another chance to elevate. Thank you for being there with me from day one.

I didn’t grow up swimming.

I learned in my 40s.

No perfect stroke.No beautiful catch.No smooth, effortless glide.

What I had?Consistency. Grit. And a refusal to quit.

I had to fight through fear of the water… anxiety… asthma… and the reality of starting later than almost everyone around me. I lined up (and still do) next to athletes who’ve been swimming since they were toddlers—many finishing in half the time it took me just to beat the cutoff.

84 races later…

I’m still learning. But along the way, I’ve helped a lot of athletes just like me:✔️ Late starters✔️ Those afraid of open water✔️ Athletes battling anxiety, cold water, or breathing challenges✔️ Triathletes who just want to feel stronger, safer, and more confident on race day

If you’re already a fast swimmer—keep shining. This clinic isn’t for you.

This is for the ones who doubt themselves in the water… but still show up.

📅 Open Water Swim Clinic — July 12thThis is the ONLY clinic I’m offering this year.

If you’re racing an IRONMAN, 70.3, Olympic, Sprint—or tackling swims like the Fat Salmon—this is where you build confidence, skill, and control in open water.

You don’t need to be perfect.You just need to be willing.

Join a group of athletes who are ready to improve—and invest in themselves.
Link in bio ⬆️

👉