2-Time Gold Medalist and Athletic Foodie: Garrett Weber-Gale
by Drex Earle
Editor-in-Chief
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Relatively quiet and unassuming, Garrett Weber-Gale has a way of flying under the radar. Or rather gliding through the pool. If you happened to be on another planet during his history-making performance with Michael Phelps this past summer at the Beijing Olympics, then you’d probably never know he was a two-time gold medalist, national swimming champion and arguably the best freestyler the world has ever seen.
That’s partly because this 23-year-old Wisconsin native is about as down-to-earth, laid back and relaxed as it gets. His low-profile demeanor, special brand of calm is much of what makes him such a surprising threat in the pool. It’s also what allows him to bend the stereotypes of a world-class athlete. This, among other things, is what makes him such a remarkable, and often intriguing, sports figure.
When you meet Weber-Gale, you realize pretty quickly there’s something different in the way he carries himself. While there’s an obvious fire in his eyes fueled by a deeply competitive spirit, there’s not the slightest tinge of arrogance or boastfulness in his personality. And yet he has a littany of athletic achievements to brag about (see the interview on page 42 for a more detailed list). In fact, you wouldn’t know about any of them unless you followed swimming or really took the time to ask.
LIVING WITH THE “SILENT KILLER”
What you also wouldn’t know about this former UT swimmer, is that he’s living with what many doctors, researchers and medical professionals refer to as the “silent killer.” Diagnosed at age 20, Weber-Gale is that rare case of an elite athlete training and competing with a dangerous chronic disease — high blood pressure.
According to recent estimates, high blood pressure affects more than 600 million people worldwide. About one out of every three U.S. adults has the disease, yet only two-thirds know they have it. And because there are no obvious symptoms, many people have high blood pressure for years without even suspecting it.
“High blood pressure is a weird one,” Weber-Gale explains.” It’s not like a heart murmur where you can feel it. If it’s too high, you can be at risk of a stroke, as well as many other diseases.”
For Weber-Gale, this translates into being super vigilant about his health. Since being diagnosed with high blood pressure, he’s had to make major changes to his lifestyle, his eating habits, his training regimen and his psychological disposition when competing. To be one of the best swimmers in the world requires a relentless drive, focus and willingness to compromise what other people (and most athletes) cannot. But having to battle high blood pressure on a daily basis adds another challenging variable to an otherwise strenuous equation.
“It’s affected my training in so many ways. There have even been times I’ve checked my blood pressure and couldn’t work out if it was too high. It’s just something else I have to worry about. The biggest challenge has been that it took so long to figure it out with my diet and my medications.”
While Weber-Gale knows that living with high blood pressure is something he can’t change, he also understands that if left unchecked, the disease could lead to much more serious ailments like stroke, heart attack, heart disease or even kidney failure. All of which are milestones he never wants to reach.
MAKING WAVES
Weber-Gale has been in the pool pretty much his entire life. Starting at age 7, his natural swimming talent garnered early attention while at the Schroeder YMCA in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. It didn’t take long before his parents and coaches realized they had something special on their hands.
The next phase of his development was stroke training here in Austin with Longhorn Aquatics (known as Circle C Swimming at the time). By 2003, Weber-Gale’s hard work was beginning to really pay off, and he made a name for himself by breaking the national public high school record in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 43.49. From there, he went onto become a Wisconsin State Champion four times, in both the backstroke and the freestyle.
Meanwhile, he was being heavily recruited by the best swimming programs in the country, among them UT. What the school wanted was a promising young talent to add to their already Olympic calibre squad. What they didn’t realize was they’d be getting a dedicated, thoughtful athlete, and one of the hardest working swimmers in the sport.
“I guess you could say I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” Weber-Gale admits sheepishly. “Stress is part of it, which always keeps me going. That was the hardest thing about school and swimming. I would finish swimming at five. Then I would come home, eat and study until 10:30 p.m., then go to sleep. I would wake up at 5:45 a.m., go to practice and school, then do it all over again.”
Needless to say, his work ethic is working. After joining the UT swim program, Weber-Gale went on to become Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year three years in a row. He also won the 100- and 50-meter freestyle events at the 2008 Olympic Trials in 47.92 and 21.47 seconds, respectively. His time of 21.47 in the 50 was an American record. Plus, his record-shattering time of 47.78 in the prelims of the 100 freestyle made him the first American to ever break 48 seconds in that event.
Now he finds the biggest challenge in the pool is getting used to the competition. Despite being a darling of the collegiate circuit and a bona fide force at the Olympic level, Weber-Gale still feels like there’s always someone nipping at his heels.
“There are so many studs and really good athletes, which means you’re not always going to be the best. I can tell you I’m definitely not one of the best at practice. I get really tired and broken down and sometimes second-guess myself. It’s hard to get beat all the time at practice and believe you’re still going to come up at the end. We swim with so many Olympians, it’s just a tense environment. This past summer when I broke the record, it was the first time I did something I was really satisfied with.”
THE ATHLETIC FOODIE
One of the best ways Weber-Gale has been able to beat his high blood pressure while pushing his performance, is by simply modifying his diet. Cutting down on sodium, getting creative with how he seasons his food, eating more fruits and vegetables, have all had a huge impact in how he keeps his health and training in check.
“Before I started eating better, there were a few instances where my blood pressure was 175/105. At that level, I couldn’t work out. But on average before the low-sodium diet and medication, I would say it was in the mid 150s over high 80s. When I really started watching my diet, it would stay in the mid-140s over 80s. And the medication brings it into the mid- to high-130s over low 70s.”
Understanding how food can keep him performing at a high level has also helped inspire a foray into the culinary world. After a career in swimming, Weber-Gale has designs on becoming a nationally-known Athletic Foodie. The goal is to make healthy cooking palatable to the masses, while sharing his athletic experiences and his story of living with high blood pressure. A cookbook may even be in the works.
“I’m a self-proclaimed Athletic Foodie. Basically, I’m an athlete, and I’ve found that through learning about food, and playing with my diet, I can increase my performance in the pool. I’ve used my bread and butter, which is swimming and athletics, and I’ve enhanced it by becoming a real foodie and using nutrition to my advantage.”
10 WAYS TO CONTROL YOUR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
1 Know your blood pressure. Have it checked regularly.
2 Know what your weight should be. Keep it at or below that level.
3 Don't use too much salt in cooking or at meals. Avoid salty foods.
4 Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain high-fiber foods according to American Heart Association recommendations.
5 Control alcohol intake. Don't have more than one drink a day if you're a woman or two a day if you're a man.
6 Take your medicine exactly as prescribed. Don't run out of pills even for a single day.
7 Keep appointments with the doctor.
8 Follow your doctor's advice about physical activity.
9 Make certain your parents, brothers, sisters and children have their blood pressure checked regularly.
10 Live a normal life in every other way.
Source: American Heart Association
CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHY FOOD
With his Athletic Foodie campaign, Weber-Gale hopes to make healthy eating cool.
These are examples of the delicious “high blood pressure appropriate” recipes found at gwgswims.com:
SICILIAN-STYLE TURKEY ROLLS
2 turkey tenderloins, about one pound each
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup dried currants or small raisins, soaked in warm water for 1 hour and drained
Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Cut each turkey tenderloin down the center. Put some olive oil on a cutting board and on the tenderloins. Cover the tenderloin with Saran Wrap. With a meat mallet pound out tenderloin halves until about 1/4-inch think. Be gentle so you don't tear the meat. Once pounded out, cut halves in half again so each piece is about five inches long. Combine Pecorino Romano cheese, bread crumbs, Italian parsley, pine nuts and currants and a bit of freshly ground pepper in a dish. Divide the mixture among the turkey and spread out thinly. Tightly roll each piece up and secure with toothpicks. I like to spread a little extra mixture on the outsides of the rolls as well. Grill for about four to five minutes on both sides or until nicely charred. Serve and enjoy!
ROSEMARY ROASTED VEGGIES
Pick your favorite veggies and root veggies. My favorite for this recipe are red bell pepper, red onion, sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash and rutabaga. Peal anything that needs peeling (ie. sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash and rutabaga). Cut everything into one-inch cubes or pieces. Toss everything in some olive oil. Coarsely chop about two or three tablespoons of rosemary depending upon how many veggies you have. Mix in Rosemary with the veggies. Roast everything at 375 degrees until soft lightly charred. Enjoy.
Q+A:
HOW MUCH OF YOUR NUTRITION UNDERSTANDING IS BASED ON SCIENCE AND HOW MUCH IS BASED ON TRIAL AND ERROR?
I’d say 50 percent is science. A lot of that comes from a nutritionist. I’ve read a lot, but I see a nutritionist regularly here in Austin. For example, my nutritionist has me eat walnuts during the day. Men generally urinate out a lot of their hormones, causing a lot of males to keep excess fat on them. Eating walnuts during the day helps you retain your hormones which helps you stay leaner.
WE’VE HEARD YOU HOST A VARIETY OF FOOD EVENTS. WHERE DO THESE TAKE PLACE?
Most of them have been in Milwaukee. We’re starting a new show in October called “Wisconsin Foodie.” I’m going to have an Athletic Food section on the show each week. The goal is to try to make the show even bigger, like Texas Foodie, with famous Texas chefs and dinners.
I did this awesome dinner in Milwaukee inspired by low-sodium recipes I like. Throughout the meal I talked about my experience in Beijing, what that was like, the Olympic Trials, and battling high blood pressure. I’m trying to get into more food-related events.
Where do you want your cooking to take you in the future?
I want to have an empire like Paula Dean, except healthy. People love her because she has a vivacious, endearing personality. I want to have that kind of scope eventually, but help people live a better life through better nutrition. For example, last night I twittered about how sad it was to me that I was refreshed when I saw people at H-E-B who were in shape. I was like, we should forget about global warming if we can’t even help ourselves stay fit.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE ON THIS FRONT?
I guess my ultimate goal is to use my experience as an Olympic swimmer and the fact that I battle high blood pressure to show people that eating better can be a huge part of your life. The food can taste good. A lot of people with high blood pressure and heart conditions think it’s somewhat debilitating, which is usually not true in the larger context.
SO, WHAT’S YOUR MANTRA ABOUT COOKING?
I don’t necessarily have one ideology about food. When I eat, for example, I’ll have chicken with a bunch of spices on it, with steamed asparagus and sweet potatoes, not stuff with a bunch of sauces and butters. A lot of people think simplicity is not flavorful, but I don’t believe that. American people in general go crazy with salt. One thing I realized about not using salt is that your palette changes. You start tasting the food more and not masking it with salt. I like cayenne pepper and use enova filtered oil, not like the darker olive oils.
WHAT KIND OF MEALS DO YOU PREPARE TO SATISFY YOUR DIET?
I’m really regimented about eating certain things at certain times, like walnuts and dark chocolate. Part of the reason people get so stressed and tired during the day is their emotions go up and down. If you can keep that constant by eating asparagus, dark chocolate and kiwi you can be more even. It actually does work and can really make a difference.
WHAT’S A TYPICAL LUNCH FOR YOU?
I have the same lunch everyday. Turkey sandwich with swiss, dried cranberries, blueberries, walnuts, almonds, dark chocolate, an apple, four or five asparagus and milk.
WAS IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN YOUR DIET WHILE ON THE ROAD IN BEIJING?
During the Olympic trials in Omaha, my parents actually made me food and brought it to me in my hotel room. Every meal. And in Beijing the food was actually really high quality.
There was one really interesting thing though: a lot of people in the Olympic village would eat McDonald’s. Even tons of athletes. I didn’t get why these athletes were eating McDonald’s at the biggest competition of their lives. I asked my coach Eddie Reeves, who had the perfect answer. He said McDonald’s relaxes them because it ‘s comfort food. It’s a slice of home.
DO YOU REALISTICALLY BELIEVE YOU WILL BE THE BEST FREESTYLER EVER?
I really think that I’m in a good position to do that. The thing that’s hard is that there are so many good swimmers that have been in the Olympics and won national championships. It’s like, “You won the national championships, that’s awesome” for like a day. Then it’s over with. You go to some other school and you’re the biggest thing that’s ever happened. They’re praising you forever. That’s great, but here it’s like one and done. I want the world record.
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE IN BEIJING?
I was very disappointed in Beijing. I went in as the third fastest 50-freestyler ever, and I didn’t make the finals. I was the fourth fastest 100-freesyler ever, and I didn’t make that either. I legitimately thought I was going to win four medals, and I thought I had a good shot at winning four gold medals. The truth is, most people at the Olympics don’t medal at all. I think the percentage is like three percent of participants get medals.
YOU SAY YOU LIVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO FOR FUN BESIDES SWIMMING?
I love being outside. I go to Barton Springs a fair amount. I was out on Lake Travis fishing all day yesterday. I used to bike a lot, but that’s mellowed because it really does a number on your legs if you do it too much. For me, the key is just being outside. I really ease out of things that are really active so not to risk being hurt.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE LATEST PHELPS CONTROVERSY?
I think it’s unfortunate. I can’t tell someone what they should or shouldn’t do. I think if you’re gonna do something like that, you need to be very careful about it.
I was watching Larry King Live a couple of weeks ago, and he was asking someone about their political opinion. They asked him what his was, and he said “I can’t give my political opinion. I’m paid by CNN and I’ve chosen to be a public figure, and I have to be mindful of that.” When you represent USA swimming and the Olympic movement, you have to be really careful about how you present yourself and what situations you put yourself into. I think it’s one of those situations that everyone makes mistakes and I don’t think we should look down upon him for it. People that aren’t involved in athletics or swimming think it’s cool that he won eight medals, but they really don’t have any idea how hard that actually is to do. They don’t know how it is to first get to that level, then to do as many swims as he did. It’s insane.
WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE IN BEIJING?
When I got back to the states, people were like “Thanks for representing America like that. You guys made us really proud.” I realized we’re not just swimming over there, we’re ambassadors for the country. Nor did I realize how emotional people get about it. People would talk to me like I’m their son. That’s what’s really cool and what’s really changed me. I’m more grateful to be an American basically. When we went to the Olympics, so much was taken care of for us. A lot of other countries didn’t have anything. We forget how lucky we are. I have a different emotion when I hear the national anthem now than I did before the Olympics. When I see soldiers in the airport, I have a greater pride and respect for them.
SWIMMING ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Beijing Olympics--Gold medal, 400 freestyle relay; Gold medal, 400 medley relay.
2. 2008 U.S. Olympic Team--50 and 100 Freestyle, first place finishes at Olympic Trials. Two American records at Trials.
3. Member of the 2007 U.S. World Championship Team (Gold Medal on 400m Freestyle Relay)
4. Member of the 2005 U.S. World Championship Team (Gold Medal on 400m Freestyle Relay)
5. Two-time NCAA Champion (400 Medley Relay 2004 [World Record]; 100 Freestyle 2006)
6. NCAA and Texas school record holder (400m Medley Relay)
7. American and Texas school record holder (200m Medley Relay)
8. Texas school record holder (100 Freestyle SCY, LCM; 50 Freestyle LCM; 200 SCY Freestyle Relay)
9. 18-time NCAA All-American
10. 8-time NCAA Honorable Mention All-American
11. 2004 Big 12 Conference Championships Newcomer of the Meet
12. 2004 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year
13. 2005 Big 12 Conference Championships Swimmer of the Meet
14. 2005 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year
15. 2006 Big 12 Conference Championships Swimmer of the Meet
16. 2006 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year
17. 2007 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year
18. 2005-06-07 Texas Swimming and Diving MVP
19. 11-time Big 12 Conference Champion
20. 14-time All-Big 12 Conference
21. 2004-05 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
22. National Public High School Record 100 Freestyle
That’s partly because this 23-year-old Wisconsin native is about as down-to-earth, laid back and relaxed as it gets. His low-profile demeanor, special brand of calm is much of what makes him such a surprising threat in the pool. It’s also what allows him to bend the stereotypes of a world-class athlete. This, among other things, is what makes him such a remarkable, and often intriguing, sports figure.
When you meet Weber-Gale, you realize pretty quickly there’s something different in the way he carries himself. While there’s an obvious fire in his eyes fueled by a deeply competitive spirit, there’s not the slightest tinge of arrogance or boastfulness in his personality. And yet he has a littany of athletic achievements to brag about (see the interview on page 42 for a more detailed list). In fact, you wouldn’t know about any of them unless you followed swimming or really took the time to ask.
LIVING WITH THE “SILENT KILLER”
What you also wouldn’t know about this former UT swimmer, is that he’s living with what many doctors, researchers and medical professionals refer to as the “silent killer.” Diagnosed at age 20, Weber-Gale is that rare case of an elite athlete training and competing with a dangerous chronic disease — high blood pressure.
According to recent estimates, high blood pressure affects more than 600 million people worldwide. About one out of every three U.S. adults has the disease, yet only two-thirds know they have it. And because there are no obvious symptoms, many people have high blood pressure for years without even suspecting it.
“High blood pressure is a weird one,” Weber-Gale explains.” It’s not like a heart murmur where you can feel it. If it’s too high, you can be at risk of a stroke, as well as many other diseases.”
For Weber-Gale, this translates into being super vigilant about his health. Since being diagnosed with high blood pressure, he’s had to make major changes to his lifestyle, his eating habits, his training regimen and his psychological disposition when competing. To be one of the best swimmers in the world requires a relentless drive, focus and willingness to compromise what other people (and most athletes) cannot. But having to battle high blood pressure on a daily basis adds another challenging variable to an otherwise strenuous equation.
“It’s affected my training in so many ways. There have even been times I’ve checked my blood pressure and couldn’t work out if it was too high. It’s just something else I have to worry about. The biggest challenge has been that it took so long to figure it out with my diet and my medications.”
While Weber-Gale knows that living with high blood pressure is something he can’t change, he also understands that if left unchecked, the disease could lead to much more serious ailments like stroke, heart attack, heart disease or even kidney failure. All of which are milestones he never wants to reach.
MAKING WAVES
Weber-Gale has been in the pool pretty much his entire life. Starting at age 7, his natural swimming talent garnered early attention while at the Schroeder YMCA in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. It didn’t take long before his parents and coaches realized they had something special on their hands.
The next phase of his development was stroke training here in Austin with Longhorn Aquatics (known as Circle C Swimming at the time). By 2003, Weber-Gale’s hard work was beginning to really pay off, and he made a name for himself by breaking the national public high school record in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 43.49. From there, he went onto become a Wisconsin State Champion four times, in both the backstroke and the freestyle.
Meanwhile, he was being heavily recruited by the best swimming programs in the country, among them UT. What the school wanted was a promising young talent to add to their already Olympic calibre squad. What they didn’t realize was they’d be getting a dedicated, thoughtful athlete, and one of the hardest working swimmers in the sport.
“I guess you could say I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” Weber-Gale admits sheepishly. “Stress is part of it, which always keeps me going. That was the hardest thing about school and swimming. I would finish swimming at five. Then I would come home, eat and study until 10:30 p.m., then go to sleep. I would wake up at 5:45 a.m., go to practice and school, then do it all over again.”
Needless to say, his work ethic is working. After joining the UT swim program, Weber-Gale went on to become Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year three years in a row. He also won the 100- and 50-meter freestyle events at the 2008 Olympic Trials in 47.92 and 21.47 seconds, respectively. His time of 21.47 in the 50 was an American record. Plus, his record-shattering time of 47.78 in the prelims of the 100 freestyle made him the first American to ever break 48 seconds in that event.
Now he finds the biggest challenge in the pool is getting used to the competition. Despite being a darling of the collegiate circuit and a bona fide force at the Olympic level, Weber-Gale still feels like there’s always someone nipping at his heels.
“There are so many studs and really good athletes, which means you’re not always going to be the best. I can tell you I’m definitely not one of the best at practice. I get really tired and broken down and sometimes second-guess myself. It’s hard to get beat all the time at practice and believe you’re still going to come up at the end. We swim with so many Olympians, it’s just a tense environment. This past summer when I broke the record, it was the first time I did something I was really satisfied with.”
THE ATHLETIC FOODIE
One of the best ways Weber-Gale has been able to beat his high blood pressure while pushing his performance, is by simply modifying his diet. Cutting down on sodium, getting creative with how he seasons his food, eating more fruits and vegetables, have all had a huge impact in how he keeps his health and training in check.
“Before I started eating better, there were a few instances where my blood pressure was 175/105. At that level, I couldn’t work out. But on average before the low-sodium diet and medication, I would say it was in the mid 150s over high 80s. When I really started watching my diet, it would stay in the mid-140s over 80s. And the medication brings it into the mid- to high-130s over low 70s.”
Understanding how food can keep him performing at a high level has also helped inspire a foray into the culinary world. After a career in swimming, Weber-Gale has designs on becoming a nationally-known Athletic Foodie. The goal is to make healthy cooking palatable to the masses, while sharing his athletic experiences and his story of living with high blood pressure. A cookbook may even be in the works.
“I’m a self-proclaimed Athletic Foodie. Basically, I’m an athlete, and I’ve found that through learning about food, and playing with my diet, I can increase my performance in the pool. I’ve used my bread and butter, which is swimming and athletics, and I’ve enhanced it by becoming a real foodie and using nutrition to my advantage.”
10 WAYS TO CONTROL YOUR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
1 Know your blood pressure. Have it checked regularly.
2 Know what your weight should be. Keep it at or below that level.
3 Don't use too much salt in cooking or at meals. Avoid salty foods.
4 Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain high-fiber foods according to American Heart Association recommendations.
5 Control alcohol intake. Don't have more than one drink a day if you're a woman or two a day if you're a man.
6 Take your medicine exactly as prescribed. Don't run out of pills even for a single day.
7 Keep appointments with the doctor.
8 Follow your doctor's advice about physical activity.
9 Make certain your parents, brothers, sisters and children have their blood pressure checked regularly.
10 Live a normal life in every other way.
Source: American Heart Association
CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHY FOOD
With his Athletic Foodie campaign, Weber-Gale hopes to make healthy eating cool.
These are examples of the delicious “high blood pressure appropriate” recipes found at gwgswims.com:
SICILIAN-STYLE TURKEY ROLLS
2 turkey tenderloins, about one pound each
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup dried currants or small raisins, soaked in warm water for 1 hour and drained
Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Cut each turkey tenderloin down the center. Put some olive oil on a cutting board and on the tenderloins. Cover the tenderloin with Saran Wrap. With a meat mallet pound out tenderloin halves until about 1/4-inch think. Be gentle so you don't tear the meat. Once pounded out, cut halves in half again so each piece is about five inches long. Combine Pecorino Romano cheese, bread crumbs, Italian parsley, pine nuts and currants and a bit of freshly ground pepper in a dish. Divide the mixture among the turkey and spread out thinly. Tightly roll each piece up and secure with toothpicks. I like to spread a little extra mixture on the outsides of the rolls as well. Grill for about four to five minutes on both sides or until nicely charred. Serve and enjoy!
ROSEMARY ROASTED VEGGIES
Pick your favorite veggies and root veggies. My favorite for this recipe are red bell pepper, red onion, sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash and rutabaga. Peal anything that needs peeling (ie. sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash and rutabaga). Cut everything into one-inch cubes or pieces. Toss everything in some olive oil. Coarsely chop about two or three tablespoons of rosemary depending upon how many veggies you have. Mix in Rosemary with the veggies. Roast everything at 375 degrees until soft lightly charred. Enjoy.
Q+A:
HOW MUCH OF YOUR NUTRITION UNDERSTANDING IS BASED ON SCIENCE AND HOW MUCH IS BASED ON TRIAL AND ERROR?
I’d say 50 percent is science. A lot of that comes from a nutritionist. I’ve read a lot, but I see a nutritionist regularly here in Austin. For example, my nutritionist has me eat walnuts during the day. Men generally urinate out a lot of their hormones, causing a lot of males to keep excess fat on them. Eating walnuts during the day helps you retain your hormones which helps you stay leaner.
WE’VE HEARD YOU HOST A VARIETY OF FOOD EVENTS. WHERE DO THESE TAKE PLACE?
Most of them have been in Milwaukee. We’re starting a new show in October called “Wisconsin Foodie.” I’m going to have an Athletic Food section on the show each week. The goal is to try to make the show even bigger, like Texas Foodie, with famous Texas chefs and dinners.
I did this awesome dinner in Milwaukee inspired by low-sodium recipes I like. Throughout the meal I talked about my experience in Beijing, what that was like, the Olympic Trials, and battling high blood pressure. I’m trying to get into more food-related events.
Where do you want your cooking to take you in the future?
I want to have an empire like Paula Dean, except healthy. People love her because she has a vivacious, endearing personality. I want to have that kind of scope eventually, but help people live a better life through better nutrition. For example, last night I twittered about how sad it was to me that I was refreshed when I saw people at H-E-B who were in shape. I was like, we should forget about global warming if we can’t even help ourselves stay fit.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE ON THIS FRONT?
I guess my ultimate goal is to use my experience as an Olympic swimmer and the fact that I battle high blood pressure to show people that eating better can be a huge part of your life. The food can taste good. A lot of people with high blood pressure and heart conditions think it’s somewhat debilitating, which is usually not true in the larger context.
SO, WHAT’S YOUR MANTRA ABOUT COOKING?
I don’t necessarily have one ideology about food. When I eat, for example, I’ll have chicken with a bunch of spices on it, with steamed asparagus and sweet potatoes, not stuff with a bunch of sauces and butters. A lot of people think simplicity is not flavorful, but I don’t believe that. American people in general go crazy with salt. One thing I realized about not using salt is that your palette changes. You start tasting the food more and not masking it with salt. I like cayenne pepper and use enova filtered oil, not like the darker olive oils.
WHAT KIND OF MEALS DO YOU PREPARE TO SATISFY YOUR DIET?
I’m really regimented about eating certain things at certain times, like walnuts and dark chocolate. Part of the reason people get so stressed and tired during the day is their emotions go up and down. If you can keep that constant by eating asparagus, dark chocolate and kiwi you can be more even. It actually does work and can really make a difference.
WHAT’S A TYPICAL LUNCH FOR YOU?
I have the same lunch everyday. Turkey sandwich with swiss, dried cranberries, blueberries, walnuts, almonds, dark chocolate, an apple, four or five asparagus and milk.
WAS IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN YOUR DIET WHILE ON THE ROAD IN BEIJING?
During the Olympic trials in Omaha, my parents actually made me food and brought it to me in my hotel room. Every meal. And in Beijing the food was actually really high quality.
There was one really interesting thing though: a lot of people in the Olympic village would eat McDonald’s. Even tons of athletes. I didn’t get why these athletes were eating McDonald’s at the biggest competition of their lives. I asked my coach Eddie Reeves, who had the perfect answer. He said McDonald’s relaxes them because it ‘s comfort food. It’s a slice of home.
DO YOU REALISTICALLY BELIEVE YOU WILL BE THE BEST FREESTYLER EVER?
I really think that I’m in a good position to do that. The thing that’s hard is that there are so many good swimmers that have been in the Olympics and won national championships. It’s like, “You won the national championships, that’s awesome” for like a day. Then it’s over with. You go to some other school and you’re the biggest thing that’s ever happened. They’re praising you forever. That’s great, but here it’s like one and done. I want the world record.
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE IN BEIJING?
I was very disappointed in Beijing. I went in as the third fastest 50-freestyler ever, and I didn’t make the finals. I was the fourth fastest 100-freesyler ever, and I didn’t make that either. I legitimately thought I was going to win four medals, and I thought I had a good shot at winning four gold medals. The truth is, most people at the Olympics don’t medal at all. I think the percentage is like three percent of participants get medals.
YOU SAY YOU LIVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO FOR FUN BESIDES SWIMMING?
I love being outside. I go to Barton Springs a fair amount. I was out on Lake Travis fishing all day yesterday. I used to bike a lot, but that’s mellowed because it really does a number on your legs if you do it too much. For me, the key is just being outside. I really ease out of things that are really active so not to risk being hurt.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE LATEST PHELPS CONTROVERSY?
I think it’s unfortunate. I can’t tell someone what they should or shouldn’t do. I think if you’re gonna do something like that, you need to be very careful about it.
I was watching Larry King Live a couple of weeks ago, and he was asking someone about their political opinion. They asked him what his was, and he said “I can’t give my political opinion. I’m paid by CNN and I’ve chosen to be a public figure, and I have to be mindful of that.” When you represent USA swimming and the Olympic movement, you have to be really careful about how you present yourself and what situations you put yourself into. I think it’s one of those situations that everyone makes mistakes and I don’t think we should look down upon him for it. People that aren’t involved in athletics or swimming think it’s cool that he won eight medals, but they really don’t have any idea how hard that actually is to do. They don’t know how it is to first get to that level, then to do as many swims as he did. It’s insane.
WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE IN BEIJING?
When I got back to the states, people were like “Thanks for representing America like that. You guys made us really proud.” I realized we’re not just swimming over there, we’re ambassadors for the country. Nor did I realize how emotional people get about it. People would talk to me like I’m their son. That’s what’s really cool and what’s really changed me. I’m more grateful to be an American basically. When we went to the Olympics, so much was taken care of for us. A lot of other countries didn’t have anything. We forget how lucky we are. I have a different emotion when I hear the national anthem now than I did before the Olympics. When I see soldiers in the airport, I have a greater pride and respect for them.
SWIMMING ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Beijing Olympics--Gold medal, 400 freestyle relay; Gold medal, 400 medley relay.
2. 2008 U.S. Olympic Team--50 and 100 Freestyle, first place finishes at Olympic Trials. Two American records at Trials.
3. Member of the 2007 U.S. World Championship Team (Gold Medal on 400m Freestyle Relay)
4. Member of the 2005 U.S. World Championship Team (Gold Medal on 400m Freestyle Relay)
5. Two-time NCAA Champion (400 Medley Relay 2004 [World Record]; 100 Freestyle 2006)
6. NCAA and Texas school record holder (400m Medley Relay)
7. American and Texas school record holder (200m Medley Relay)
8. Texas school record holder (100 Freestyle SCY, LCM; 50 Freestyle LCM; 200 SCY Freestyle Relay)
9. 18-time NCAA All-American
10. 8-time NCAA Honorable Mention All-American
11. 2004 Big 12 Conference Championships Newcomer of the Meet
12. 2004 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year
13. 2005 Big 12 Conference Championships Swimmer of the Meet
14. 2005 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year
15. 2006 Big 12 Conference Championships Swimmer of the Meet
16. 2006 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year
17. 2007 Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Year
18. 2005-06-07 Texas Swimming and Diving MVP
19. 11-time Big 12 Conference Champion
20. 14-time All-Big 12 Conference
21. 2004-05 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
22. National Public High School Record 100 Freestyle
Eat More Green for Less Green, April 2009 Issue
Rip Esselstyn Wants You to Eat Your Vegetables, February 2009 Issue
21 of the Healthiest Beers, October 2009 Issue
