Beyond the Pool: Olympic Swimmer Apollo Hess Shares Financial Wisdom

Key Takeaways

Olympic swimmer Apollo Hess and Mydoh CEO Angelique de Montbrun shared powerful financial wisdom at OFSAA’s Student Forum:

• Consistency beats intensity: Small, regular savings over time build wealth more effectively than occasional large deposits
• Learn from mistakes: Financial missteps are inevitable – what matters is whether you learn from them
• Balance is key: Spreading your focus across multiple areas of life reduces pressure and increases happiness
• Your timeline is unique: Don’t compare your financial journey to others – everyone’s path is different
• Start early: Financial habits formed young, whether good or bad, are hard to change
• Invest in your future self: Think beyond immediate gratification to build long-term security
• Watch the full webinar as a family. 

Small Steps = Big Results

Apollo’s approach to training translates perfectly to personal finance. “I would rather put a little bit of money away for years and years and years than put a big chunk every now and then,” he shared. Just like building athletic excellence, financial success comes from consistent, disciplined habits over time.

This philosophy extends to how you handle life’s ups and downs. “If you’re sensible with your money and build good habits, the downs will be so much easier to navigate if you have good habits and are sensible with your saving,” Apollo explained.

Learning from Expensive Lessons

Apollo didn’t shy away from discussing his financial missteps. When he was younger, he bought an expensive car because he wanted to “look cool.” Looking back, he wishes he had invested that money in something that could provide returns in the future.

His advice? Watch out for unnecessary spending. “There’s some people I know who still to this day spend like all their money on clothes and going out and going to get food,” he noted. Those small purchases add up and subtract from the money that could be working for your future instead.

But here’s the powerful part: “Making mistakes is okay. The thing that is the most important though is whether you learn from it or not,” Apollo emphasized. He acknowledged that at the time, he didn’t know any better, and that’s okay. “You just got to learn from it and sometimes you got to accept the consequences and can’t really dwell on it too much”.

Balance is Everything

One of Apollo’s most compelling messages was about balance. “My biggest lesson and goal right now is trying to maintain balance in my life by spreading my eggs in more baskets than just my swimming,” he shared. His takeaway for students: “If anyone can take any lesson from that, it’s just like yeah, try to find balance in life and you’ll be a lot happier”.

This wisdom came from personal experience. Apollo’s athletic journey taught him that putting everything into one area – even something you love – can create unnecessary pressure and limit your growth in other important areas of life.

Your Timeline, Your Path

In a world of social media comparison, Apollo offered refreshing perspective: “You shouldn’t compare yourself to others. From a financial standpoint, everybody has their own path and there’s not a certain timeline that you have to have a certain amount of money by.”

Money comes and goes, but if you’re sensible and make good decisions, “you’ll have a much easier time dealing with whatever life throws your way,” he assured students.

Start Young, Build Strong

Apollo stressed the importance of developing financial literacy early. “I think it’s super important to build confidence and literacy and just overall skills at a young age because you form habits and whether they’re good or bad, they’re hard to change.”

The key? Learning to invest in your future self rather than just your present self. Those early habits, good or bad, become the foundation for your financial future.

Follow Your Heart

Apollo closed with perhaps his most personal advice: “If you just keep looking for your path and follow your heart, you can’t really go wrong.” He encouraged students to believe in themselves, noting that if you keep trying to find your path, “it’ll work out.”

The Bottom Line

Apollo Hess’s message to students was clear: Financial wisdom isn’t about perfection – it’s about progress. Build consistent saving habits. Learn from your mistakes. Find balance in life. Don’t compare your journey to others. And most importantly, believe in yourself and keep moving forward.

Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a student just starting out, these principles create the foundation for a life where you’re in control of both your money and your future.

Grab some snacks, gain valuable insights, and get inspired. Watch the full webinar as a family. 

This blog is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. The information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.

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