Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Mineo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Bryan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
At 17, I nearly drowned at a lake in north Texas and in this discovered my first fear – the open water. The irony was that I had been on the swim team since I was 4 and largely identified as being a swimmer. The humbling, embarrassing experience in the lake that day motivated me to (in secret) conquer this fear of swimming in the “unknown”. After school each day, I’d drive nearly 30 minutes to approach this lake, in hope of finding comfort in its waters. Over the next couple of months, I found peace in the water and it inspired me more than the pool ever had. A handful of years later, while living in New York City, I began offering help to friends that we’re training for a triathlon and needed some guidance on how to master the open water. Unhappy at my desk job that paid $21k, I confidently packed up and moved my dog and I to Austin, TX, what was known as a triathlon and fitness hub in the south. I went all in. My business, Mineo Athletics at the time, wasn’t an overnight success, but the foundation was laid and I saw the need for patient guidance in the open water. After all, it was what I needed before that terrifying day I had at the lake. My niche became coaching exclusively in the open water and albeit hot and landlocked Texas, I was able to utilize lakes all around the state to lead weekly clinics and private lessons.
All the while, my eyes were set on California, to be in the mecca for open water swimming and triathlon and in 2013, I made the same sort of leap as I did from NY to TX. Building off the open water group I created in Dallas, I launched my first proper open water program in the ocean and named it SMOG – the Swim Mechanic Ocean Group – a positive spin on the ubiquitous smog that consumed LA where I was living. Within the first year of the program, SMOG grew from 3 swimmers to 15 swimmers and by year three SMOG had become a passionate aquatic army of over 300 swimmers. Today SMOG totals over 2000 swimmers across 10 locations in North America. Now, a non-profit, SMOG’s aim is to be the liaison between human and the ocean, breaking generational fear that exists among so many cultures and inspire those to help create a healthier ocean together. SMOG does weekly beach cleanups at all locations, including Moonlight Beach at 7 am on Sundays, offers free open water lessons and safety education to underserved areas and kids, and have plans to expand globally in 2020. I’m proud that my vision has become so much bigger than myself and I have family and friends surrounding me that share my passion for creating community and supporting fellow SMOGgers in their goals.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The trajectory of SMOG would appear to be pretty smooth if it were plotted on a graph. However, along the way, I’ve dealt with growing pains, trial and error, disbelievers, believers that move away, and everything in between. What’s worked for myself and SMOG as a community is our consistency. Consistency is king and without showing up every single week, we’d merely be a casual group of people that swim together sometime.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
SMOG is an arms-wide-open community, from beginner to Olympian, that shares a love for our ocean, breaking down walls and overcoming fears together. As the founder of SMOG, I’m most proud of simply being a part of it. The people are incredible. Seriously, it’s crazy. There are no bad seeds in the group because overtime people bring their “right people” out that they know will add to the group, and slowly this beautiful, well-rounded, conscious, friendly and fun community exists.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’ve never been more proud than when I received the letter from the IRS conforming to our non-profit status. This meant so much more than just a tax ID#, but was symbolic of the direction SMOG is going. Our marching army instantly became one that had a purpose, one that was really creating an impact and now on a much bigger scale.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SMOG.community
- Email: bryan@smog.community
- Instagram: @theswimmechanic @smogswims
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/SMOGofficial
Image Credit:
Matt Olivas, Shaun Sexton
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