Weekly Newsletter, Sept. 30, 2026: A Golden Weekend for CG Sports
GOOD MORNING.
It's rare that we get this much good news in one week. Van Mathias and McKenzie Siroky both walked away with Golden Goggle Awards, Grace Norman just claimed her 7th World Championship title, and Emily Oberst spent a day giving back with LA28 partner Eli Lilly. Let's get into it.
In today's newsletter, we'll look at:
A huge week of client wins: Golden Goggles, a 7th world title, and more
A personal story from Cejih
Cejih's Corner: the Instagram habit worth stealing
One more thing: Dan Freschi's book launches in a week
This week's biggest client news
Where do we even start? At the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Grace Norman won her 7th World Championship paratriathlon title, then turned around and helped Team USA take gold in the mixed relay. Seven world titles is a staggering number, and she's still adding to it.
Meanwhile, Van Mathias took home a Golden Goggle Award at USA Swimming's annual awards ceremony on Saturday, September 26 — the sport's biggest individual honor — capping a season that also saw Indiana University recognize him for a record-breaking year in the pool. If you've followed his comeback story (balancing a full-time job while chasing American records), this is the payoff moment. We're also working on a fresh Brand Camp partnership for Van behind the scenes — more on that soon.
He wasn't the only one celebrating that night — McKenzie Siroky took home Breakout Performer of the Year at the same Golden Goggle Awards, a well-earned nod to the kind of year she's had.
And on September 24, Emily Oberst spent her day with Eli Lilly for their Global Day of Service — a nice reminder that the impact our athletes make goes well beyond competition.
Cejih's Corner
Growing on Instagram isn't about posting more — it's about posting the right format, consistently. If you want traction in 2027, that format is Reels.
Here's the habit I tell every athlete we work with: commit to 1-2 Reels every 2 weeks. No more, no less. Consistency beats volume — trying to post daily burns you out by week three, but two solid Reels a month is something you can actually sustain for a full year.
Second, stop treating content creation as a separate task from your life. Capture clips wherever you already are — at practice, at a clinic, at a signing, on a road trip. The best Reels aren't produced, they're found. Keep a running folder on your phone and pull from it when you sit down to edit.
Third, keep the edits simple. A clean cut, a trending sound, and a caption that actually says something — that's it. Overproduced content reads like an ad. Simple content reads like you.
Read the full breakdown here: How to Grow on IG
One more thing
Dan Freschi's book, Becoming Uncommon: The Student-Athlete's Guide to Leadership and Life, launches in exactly one week — October 6.
Dan told us this morning that his first printed copies just arrived: "My first printed copies arrived, and holding them made it all feel real. We are one week from launch, October 6."
If you've got a student-athlete in your life, or you were one once, this is worth grabbing on day one. More as launch day gets closer. becominguncommon.us
CG Sports Client Events
Oct 2-3, 2026 (Summit, NJ): Clinic with Summit Area YMCA, Phoebe Bacon.
Oct 3, 2026 (Arvada, CO): Clinic with North Jeffco Swim Team, Rebecca Soni.
Oct 3, 2026 (Portland, OR): Clinic with Oregon Swimming LSC, Ella Eastin.
Oct 9-10, 2026 (Seattle, WA): Clinic with WEST, Lilly King
Oct 27, 2026 (Bloomingdale, NJ): Keynote at Walter T Bergen Middle School, Jack Wallace.
Oct 27, 2026: Speaking engagement at West Ridge Elementary School, Jack Wallace.
Nov 3-4, 2026: USADA Athlete Panel, Jack Wallace.
Nov 14-15, 2026 (Bay City, MI): Clinic with Bay City Aquatics Club, McKenzie Siroky.
Nov 18, 2026: Speaking engagement at Bryn Mawr School, Emily Oberst.
Dec 3, 2026 (Wilton, CT): Leadership keynote & Captain's Workshop at Wilton High School, Elizabeth Beisel.
Jan 10, 2027 (Issaquah, WA): Clinic with Issaquah Swim Team, Hali Flickinger.
Apr 10, 2027 (venue TBD): Clinic with Border Swimming LSC, Phoebe Bacon.
That's the week. See you next Wednesday.
Cejih and The CG Sports Company
