How Andrew Moss Transforms Fear Into Action

Pathfinders For Good
Jun 7
3 min read

Updated: Jun 13

When the Swimming Coach Couldn't Swim

Picture this: An Olympic swimming coach stands poolside, directing world-class athletes through their training. He analyzes stroke technique, adjusts training regimens, and guides swimmers to medal-winning performances.

There's just one catch—if that same coach fell into that pool, he would drown. This mentor couldn't swim a stroke, yet he was one of the most successful Olympic coaches ever.

As a young coach, watching this paradox unfold changed everything about leadership.

"What happened next shaped my entire career.", Andrew stated.

The Universal Pattern Hiding in Plain Sight

Most people see vast differences between a terrified three-year-old on a pool deck and an Olympic athlete preparing for competition. Andrew discovered something startling: they face identical internal challenges. Whether someone is learning to trust water for the first time or competing for gold on the world's biggest stage, the same thought patterns create the same barriers to potential.

This revelation connects to every changemaker's journey. The entrepreneur launching their first social venture and the established leader scaling global impact both wrestle with the same inner voice questioning their capabilities. The obstacles aren't external—they're the thoughts we think about our thoughts, the beliefs we hold about what's possible.

The Moment Everything Shifted

Andrew's breakthrough came when he realised his job wasn't to teach swimming technique—it was to help people fall in love with being in the water. This shift from instruction to inspiration became his life's work. But the deeper transformation happened when he started noticing his own thought patterns during challenging times.

"I could witness these thoughts as they came up," he explains. "And if I could see them, that meant I wasn't programmed by them. I had agency over which thoughts I chose to stay with and which ones I could let pass by."

This insight became the foundation for everything that followed, from coaching inner-city youth in Chicago to supporting inmates in the prison system to co-leading a global movement of changemakers.

From Lone Wolf to Ecosystem Builder

Andrew's approach evolved through decades of one-on-one coaching, but his most profound learning came during 11 months sailing around the world. Starting as the experienced sailor taking action and making decisions, he gradually learned to step back and empower his crewmates to discover their own leadership potential.

"I went from being the action taker to literally sitting in the back of the boat, watching everybody do what they needed to do," he reflects. This transformation from individual leader to ecosystem enabler became the blueprint for Pathfinders for Good—creating conditions where everyday heroes can thrive rather than trying to be the hero yourself.

Your Permission to Begin

For changemakers reading this, Andrew's journey offers a powerful permission slip. His call to action echoes the words of Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip's final concert: "Find something you're interested in and do something." The magic isn't in having all the answers—it's in recognizing that your current thoughts about your capabilities aren't facts.

Andrew's practical wisdom distills into three core insights:

Start where you are: Whether you're three years old or Olympic-level, the internal work is the same—notice your thought patterns and choose which ones serve you.
Trust the pull over the push: When you're doing work that matters to you, energy flows naturally. Pay attention to what draws you forward rather than what you think you "should" do.
Build the ecosystem: Your job isn't to have all the answers but to create conditions where others can discover their own potential and contribute their unique gifts.

The most remarkable discovery from Andrew's 50-year journey? When people feel permission and support to do what they're called to do, the vast majority choose work that benefits others and the planet. The path forward isn't about convincing people to care—it's about removing the mental obstacles that keep them from following what already calls to them.

Ready to explore more of Andrew's insights?

The full episode reveals his work with everyone from inner-city youth to Olympic athletes, plus the sailing journey that transformed his understanding of leadership and how anyone can start contributing to the movement of changemakers.

Explore the full episode or audio summary using the links provided below.

Watch the full conversation on Pathfinders YouTube