From Olympic Podium to fatherhood – Team USA Star Alex Bowen on the craziest year of his life

In this emotional and wide-ranging episode of the Waterpolo Expert
Talk, I speak with Alex Bowen, Olympic medalist and key player of
Team USA, about a year that completely changed his life — Olympic
Games, an Olympic medal, a wedding, a move to Spain, and becoming a
father. Alex describes this period as “truly positive crazy” — a
perfect mix of pressure, happiness and life-changing moments. We
talk about the challenge of preparing for fatherhood while playing
professional water polo in Europe, the difficult reality of being
far away from his pregnant wife, and how communication, trust and
emotional strength help survive that distance. Alex speaks openly
about the unique emotional mix of excitement, responsibility and
fear before becoming a parent. A major part of the episode focuses
on the Olympic Games journey with Team USA: – The tough opening
match against Italy – The must-win games versus Romania and
Montenegro – Tactical adjustments on the six-on-five defense – The
dramatic quarterfinal against Australia – The decisive penalty
shootout that sent Team USA into the Olympic semifinals for the
first time since 2008 The episode also covers the massive life
changes within just six weeks: – Winning an Olympic medal –
Returning home for the wedding – Honeymoon in Mexico – Immediately
moving to Spain to start a new professional chapter We go deep into
Alex’s club move from France to Spain, joining CN Sabadell,
adapting to the Spanish league, daily battles against clubs like CN
Barceloneta, and how playing in Spain sharpened his game for
international competitions. Topics of this episode: – Olympic
pressure & knockout matches – Penalty shootouts at the Olympics
– Winning under extreme mental stress – Life changes after Olympic
success – Wedding, honeymoon & immediate club transfer –
Long-distance relationship during pregnancy – Becoming a father as
a professional athlete – Moving from France to Spain – Playing in
the Spanish top division – Balancing elite sport & personal
life This episode is a must-listen for athletes, coaches and
families who want to understand how elite performance, personal
happiness and major life changes collide at the highest level of
international sport. More about the podcast:
https://www.schulzekopp.de