• 2-Time NCAA Champion in 400 Individual Medley

Walking out for the 400 Individual Medley on the first day of the Olympic Trials to see 10,000 fans cheering.  It was great to see how far the sport of swimming has come and be able to compete in front of that many people.

Favorite Food: BBQ Ribs
Favorite Movie: Animal House
Age Started Swimming: 6 yrs old
Pets: Labrador Retriever named Skyler
Hobbies: Xbox, Movies, Outdoors, Hunting, Sports, Cooking
Favorite Video Game: Halo 3

Speaking Topics:

• Race Strategy
• Mental and Physical Preparation
• Stroke Techniques

Background in Swimming: I started my swimming career at a country club that my family belonged to.  I followed my two older brothers into the sport and immediately fell in love with it.  Soon summer club swimming turned into all year round swimming with the local club team (Oakland Live Y’ers) and so on.  People who are willing to work hard to reach their goals inspire me. I have always wanted people to see that I care enough about swimming to work extremely hard and deserve the rewards. My family has always inspired me, specifically my brothers, whom have always been hard workers in and out of the pool.

Through my swimming career, there have been many obstacles, some bigger than others. My freshman year at the University of Michigan, I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia that could potentially be life threatening without performing surgery. The possibility of never swimming again was slim, but it was still a very scary time. Luckily the surgery went well and I was able to finish out my freshman year and continue onward. Although I am in great health now, it was an obstacle that really made me cherish swimming and life for that matter.