After nearly two decades in swimming, she has learned that sustaining a career at the highest level requires adaptability, patience and an appreciation of the journey. 

“Success means just doing the best that I can today,” she says. “You can't possibly be at your peak for 10-plus years of your career.” 

That philosophy is shaping Haughey’s approach to another season of international competition.  

As the Swimming World Cup reaches its final stop in Astana, she is balancing the demands of elite racing with a more measured approach to training, recovery and performance, while building towards the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing. 

Training smarter 

Hard work has always been one of Haughey’s defining qualities. But as her career has progressed, she has recognised that more training and greater intensity do not necessarily produce better results.

“My body just can't keep up with more training and more intensity and just more of everything,” she explains.

In recent years, she has reassessed her training philosophy, placing greater emphasis on the quality of each session and the recovery that follows.

“These days we focus a lot more on the quality of the training as well as the quality of my recovery,” she says. “It's not just about training more and training harder, but it's also about training smarter.”

That change has also meant learning when to step back. For an athlete accustomed to pushing herself to withdraw from the 100m Freestyle final in Baku because of injury has been difficult. But experience has taught her that listening to her body is essential to long-term performance.

“Sometimes taking a step back is actually the better and smarter choice,” she says.

The focus remains firmly on improvement, but the approach has evolved: work hard, recover well and arrive at each session ready to make it count.

The Silk Road Tour Taking swimming to new places 

This year's World Cup has taken Haughey to three countries she had never visited before, combining elite competition with the chance to experience new cultures.

“Every year I try and check off new countries,” she says. “It's been really fun to experience a different kind of culture and learn more about the local food, the local language, and what they do here.”

The expansion of the World Cup into new destinations also has a wider significance. For Haughey, bringing elite swimming to different parts of the world creates opportunities for audiences who might never otherwise experience a major international meet in person.

“Swimming is such a universal sport,” she says. “A lot of people know how to swim but may not have access to watching a big meet like this in person.”

Seeing the world's best compete at close quarters can make the sport more tangible, particularly for young swimmers discovering what is possible. Haughey hopes that a spectator in Astana might leave the pool with ambitions they had never previously considered.

“Maybe the next future world record holder is in the stands watching in a few days' time,” she says. “They might watch the men's 100m Free and be inspired by that, and they will have new goals.”

Swim clinics held alongside the competition allow elite athletes to share their knowledge, demonstrate skills and connect directly with local communities. Haughey delivered a Swim Clinic in Baku, the first stop of the tour, to 30 local children.

For Haughey, that opportunity to pass on experience is an important part of the World Cup's value. Bringing the sport to new audiences today could help shape its next generation of athletes tomorrow.  

"We are doing swim clinics as well - so we can get into the community and have the top athletes show some drills and tricks for the next generation. So you’re passing down your knowledge to the next generation as well."

Beijing in sight 

With the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing approaching, Haughey is focused on translating her World Cup performances into championship readiness.

Her results have exceeded expectations, especially given her limited recent short-course racing, but she knows that technical refinement remains important.

“Luckily we have a few more weeks after World Cups, so hopefully by the time we get to Beijing I'll be ready,” she says.

Her preparation reflects a broader shift in mindset.

“These days, because I've achieved a lot already and I've had a lot of years of racing, I don't think I'm necessarily motivated by those specific goals anymore,” she says. “More focused on the process than the result itself.”

That perspective has come from years of experience. It took Haughey almost 20 years of swimming to win an Olympic medal, winning two silvers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It was an achievement that reinforced the importance of finding satisfaction beyond a single result.

“If you are just swimming for that one medal, that's a lot of miserable times,” she says.

Instead, she wants to enjoy the preparation, the training and the experience of competing around the world. The ambition remains, but success is no longer dependent on one particular outcome. 

A different measure of success 

For Haughey, the immediate priorities are clear: continue to improve, refine her short-course technique and arrive in Beijing ready to perform. But her broader outlook has become more balanced.

She still values hard work and remains ambitious, yet understands that recovery and enjoyment are essential to sustaining a career at the top.

After nearly two decades in the pool, Haughey's definition of success is both simple: “I'd rather just enjoy what I'm doing now,” she says.

It represents a more considered way of pursuing competition, putting progress above any single result. As Haughey said “These days its more quality work and more recovery.”

Media covering the Silk Road Tour can find the latest rights-free content from each stop on the World Aquatics MEDIA POOL.