World Aquatics Scholarship holder Brody McKnight from Canada sat down with legendary seven-time World Aquatics Championships water polo medallist Felipe Perrone to talk mentorship, the leap to European club water polo, and falling in love with the sport.
When goalkeeper McKnight arrived in Europe as a scholarship holder, he found himself at what he describes as “one of the best clubs in the world”.
For the 24-year-old from Saskatchewan, the move has been transformative. Surrounded daily by champions with the highest professional standards, his development has accelerated on every level.
“Every day, I'm surrounded by champions, guys who are extremely professional, with the best work ethic I've ever seen,” McKnight told Perrone.
“It's helped me, not only as a player, but as a person as well. And now that I'm playing in the Champions League, it's helping me to maybe reach a goal of winning a Champions League or reaching the final four.
“It's also helping me improve as a player, which in turn can help me in my national team, which can help us qualify for the Olympics.”
The Culture Shock
McKnight shared that the speed of the game has been the biggest challenge to rise to since his move to Marseille, in everything from passing and shooting, the tempo of training. It has proved a highly valuable experience to help him develop in the sport, and one he has relished.
“The practices are the same amount of time, but you do a lot more reps and a lot more shots, so the intensity is a lot higher. That's the thing I noticed on day one. I feel caught up to it now, but it’s still sometimes a bit of a shock!” he admitted.
The Legend’s Perspective
For Perrone, a two-time world champion and 2022 World Aquatics Male Water Player of the Year, the World Aquatics Scholarship Programme represents a rewarding opportunity to share his decades of experience in water polo.
“I think this is the beautiful part of this, my new chapter in life, and this is what makes me really have a purpose in life,” Perrone explained to McKnight.
“I had so many years accumulating knowledge in this sport. Since I was seven, I was playing almost every day in the water, and I was all around the world.
"To be able to share my knowledge with everyone, and if they can enjoy this sport like I did all my life and I'm still doing, it's a unique opportunity and I'm super happy to do it"
Advice for the Next Generation
When Perrone asks McKnight what he would tell young players who want to make it professionally, especially those in countries where water polo is still a fringe sport, he simply urged them to fall in love with it.
“Watch the games, show up to training sessions of senior teams, get to know the members of your senior national team. Once you do that, you'll start to feel more a part of it."
"You can follow people and you'll realise you’re capable of achieving your dreams"
The Bigger Picture
World Aquatics is proud to offer opportunities to athletes from around the world through its Scholarship Programme, which launched in 2014 and provides financial and technical support to help them fulfil their potential.
There are currently 132 athletes benefiting from the 2025-2026 World Aquatics Scholarship Programme.
Further details can be found here.