Navigating the path to US college sports can be complex, especially for international student-athletes who must balance intense training schedules with unfamiliar academic requirements like the SAT. Today's conversation is with British-born Woody Sandhu, founder of Brainee and former US collegiate rower at Florida Tech.

Woody shares his remarkable story of going from a complete novice in rowing to earning a collegiate scholarship in just months. After being identified through a UK talent program and achieving an impressive sub 6:20 on his first-ever 2K erg test, he found himself scrambling to understand the US college recruitment process while juggling training and academics. His experiences highlight the unique challenges international student-athletes face – usually facing a disadvantage compared to their US counterparts when studying for the SAT.

What makes Woody's perspective particularly valuable is how he transformed his challenges into solutions through founding Brainee, an SAT prep platform specifically designed for time-poor student-athletes. Unlike traditional prep methods that cater to American students with years of familiarity with standardised testing, Brainee employs AI tutoring, personalised analytics, and athlete-friendly strategies that recognise the unique constraints athletes face. The platform identifies specific weaknesses, predicts potential point gains from mastering particular topics, and even offers shortened diagnostic tests for those with limited time.

We’re thrilled to join forces with Brainee to supercharge the SAT journeys of our international student-athletes! This partnership means smarter prep, tailored support, and even greater results ahead!

Chris Bates sits down with former college tennis athlete Tayah Cross, to discuss one of our most requested topics: the process of studying in a US college and then returning back to Australia to practice as a physio. Unlike the direct entry Australian model, Tayah's journey took her from an undergraduate kinesiology degree with a minor in French from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, to a Doctor of Physiotherapy at Bond University, culminating in a prestigious clinical placement at Stanford University where she worked with collegiate athletes—coming full circle in her educational journey.

Tayah discusses the varying classes she originally took in her freshman and sophomore year and how the flexible US college system supported her to try different courses before landing on kinesiology. She also reflects on how her experience as a college athlete has enabled her to become a fantastic physio, relating her own life experiences to many athletes she treats in her professional world.

Coach George Eglesfield from NCAA D1 California State University at Bakersfield shares his journey from international student-athlete to recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, providing valuable insights for swimmers considering the US college route. His personal experience swimming at the University of Wyoming combined with his current coaching perspective offers a comprehensive view of collegiate swimming opportunities.

In this episode, Coach George shares the things the would focus on if he was a high school aged international swimming recruit, as well as tips he has for athletes getting ready to start their swimming journey this upcoming August. The infamous online platform Swim Cloud is also discussed, where Coach George emphasises the value in utilising this website when a swimmer is starting out their US college recruitment journey.

Claire asks Coach George her favourite question about red flags and green flags in college recruiting, and also delves into the prevalent priority she sees with Australian swimmers: wanting a warm climate college in Florida or California. Coach George provides his insight as to why climate considerations should be secondary to swimming program quality, academics, and scholarship opportunities.

The episode ends with Coach George discussing how the modern college swimming world is increasingly intense - times from 10 years ago would not be competitive today.

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