WEBVTT - Conversations with... Ryan Lochte 0:00:02.160 --> 0:00:06.680 This is Conversations with Olivia Jade and I Heart Radio podcast. 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:14.000 Hello everybody, welcome back to another episode of Conversations. I 0:00:14.040 --> 0:00:18.480 am so so excited for today's guest, be amazing Olympic 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:23.600 swimmer Ryan Lockty. I honestly didn't know too much about 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:26.319 Ryan Lockty, and I know one thing that we have 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:28.960 in common is that we have both been on Dancing 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:31.680 with the Stars, and so that really piqued my interest. 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:34.680 And I just want to learn more about him personally here, 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:37.519 about his personal life, his goals, how he got into swimming, 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:39.800 and I want to bring you guys along to talk 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:43.040 about his journey as well. So with that being said, 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:46.160 let's jump right into it and let's hear from Ryan 0:00:46.240 --> 0:00:54.640 Locktey himself. How are you doing. I'm really good. I'm 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:57.400 really excited to be interviewing you. This will be fun. Well, 0:00:57.400 --> 0:00:59.400 thank you for having me on. Oh my gosh. Of 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:01.880 course I'm really new at this, so you can take 0:01:01.880 --> 0:01:04.440 over as much as you want and you know, just 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:10.520 speak your mind. Um. But obviously I know you as 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:16.800 an amazing, famous swimmer, Olympic swimmer, and I don't know 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:19.640 the proper way to get into these types of podcast, 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:22.000 but I think we should just jump in and I 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.080 want to hear everything about you in your life and 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:26.880 how you got into this and I know you have 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:30.319 a baby or two babies or yeah, I just want 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:34.120 to hear it all. So I think, yeah, maybe you 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:36.240 just want to start off by telling the audience like 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:38.480 who you are, where you're from, how you grew up 0:01:38.520 --> 0:01:43.240 a little bit. Okay, Um yeah, um I'm Ryan Lockey. Um, 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:46.880 I'm a twelve time Olympic medalist. I've been to four 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:52.160 for swimming. Um, I've been to four Olympics, um in 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:58.840 two and sixteen. And yeah, I mean I grew up 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:03.920 in New York, up state New York. Yeah, I grew 0:02:04.000 --> 0:02:07.440 up there and I was always around the swimming pool. 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:11.400 Um both my swimming My parents were swim coaches. So 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:13.600 I mean I guess you could say I grew up 0:02:13.720 --> 0:02:18.400 on the pool deck. Ah, so that makes sense. So 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:21.600 I fell into the pool like um my parents. It 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:25.840 was unique was my parents never pushed me to swim. 0:02:26.000 --> 0:02:30.000 I kind of I chose um it. And one thing 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:32.560 they did say is like whatever you do, like you're 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:34.720 not gonna half act, like you're gonna go wall in 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:37.080 and give it a shot. So I gave it a shot, 0:02:37.120 --> 0:02:39.760 and I immediately just fell in love with the water, 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:46.160 like it was like my happy place. So I I 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:49.160 just stuck with um swimming. Um. I did a lot 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:51.960 of sports growing up, like you name it. I did 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:57.720 a basketball, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, surfing, skateboarding, like I did everything. 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:02.519 So you're an athlete in general, not just swimming. So yeah, 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:07.400 I believe it. And but it was always like swimming 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:10.000 that just brought me back to the pool. Um. I mean, 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:11.959 I could be having the worst day of my life, 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:16.120 and once I stepped foot in that pool, everything just disappears. 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:20.919 That's so awesome. At home, that's so cool. Wow, because 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.440 I had a totally different experience. I was forced to 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:25.919 do swim class when I was in like seventh three 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:28.720 grade and they put me in the swim cap and 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:30.440 make me go in the pool, and there was just 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:32.520 like the slowest hour of my life. I was like, 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:35.600 get me out of this pool. So it's really cool 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:38.760 to hear you know something that you're genuinely super passionate about. 0:03:39.920 --> 0:03:45.600 Are you still swimming? Yes, Yes, I am still swimming. Um. 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:47.480 It's a lot harder now than it was back in 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:51.520 the day. I'm sure, how do you manage all that 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:54.960 with like a family and um, you know, that was 0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:57.800 probably one of the hardest things that um, I was 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:01.720 trying to deal with. UM is when and when I 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:04.480 started having kids, UM, you know, just trying to be 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:08.640 like my life changed. UM. I was no longer like 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:12.560 swimming was my number one thing. It wasn't like swimming 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:17.200 was just like the cherry on top. UM. I became 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.599 a dad, a husband, and that's what I was so 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:25.240 passionate about, and nothing else really mattered in life, Like 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.880 it was just me and my family, and I was 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:34.160 just so happy. UM. I was genuinely happy. Um. And 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:38.920 so swimming became like a second priority. UM. So that 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:41.160 was the hardest thing I was trying to juggle, you know, 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.839 just being a super dad and a super husband, but 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:47.800 then going to the swimming pool and trying to compete 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:52.840 against kids half my age. UM, I just um and 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:54.640 it was just hard and it was taking a toll 0:04:54.680 --> 0:04:57.640 on me. So I started trying to think outside the 0:04:57.640 --> 0:05:01.719 box of how can I recover, how can I do 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:07.320 things to help my energy levels to help just basically 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:10.279 everything that I was doing, um, and trying to keep 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:13.359 up with these younger kids So one of the main 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:16.839 things that I started finding. I found out was this 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:22.279 on It's this unique form of vitamin B three that 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:27.480 supports a healthy aging and sillier repair UM called true nitagen. 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:33.200 And I started taking it, and I immediately started feeling 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:39.720 my energy levels like skyrocket skyrocket, Like I was I 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:42.160 was going to swim practice in the morning, training with 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.239 these younger kids, then going home and being a super 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:48.080 dad playing with my kids all day, and then going 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:51.120 back to the swimming pool later on that afternoon and 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:54.239 having more energy than the kids. I was swimming against 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.880 the Like where did you get this stuff? They called 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:02.039 me like, they call me Big Daddy. That was my nickname, Solar, 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:04.480 a big daddy, Like how are you doing this? How 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.640 are you kicking her ass? I'm like, I'm not telling 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:11.240 you my secret. She just told it on my podcast 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:17.240 to these kids. I wasn't saying I didn't tell them 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:20.000 that was like my secret weapon. So like that was 0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:22.320 one of the things I was doing. And then of 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:25.920 course you know as you get older, like it's harder 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:30.679 for your body to recover. UM. So I also started 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:35.720 I found out this dr Riggs relief UM. It's like, um, 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:39.320 it's a supplement that you can take that helps your 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:42.359 aches and pains. Okay, this is really good for me 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:44.400 to know because I'm doing Dancing with the Stars right 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:48.359 now and I'm in so much hurt. And I congratulate you, 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:51.320 like I know you did it too, which we'll talk about. 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:55.360 I will train eight years straight of swimming every day, 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:57.800 then dude, dancing with the start again, because that was 0:06:57.839 --> 0:07:02.800 really do you think that's how it? Then Olympic training 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:07.640 and swimming like pointing your toes and having your like no, no, 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:12.520 it was. It was brutal. So hey, actually this stuff 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:15.800 will help you. Way what's it called again? All right? 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.200 So we got true Niagen that will help your like 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:23.880 cellular energy levels. And then dr Riggs Relief, the suplement 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:26.240 that you put in your water. And it's like, because 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.680 I used to take at Ville all the time for 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:32.080 practice just to get through the pain, but I stopped 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:35.360 taking it because you know, it messes up your digestion, 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:40.280 like your organ Yeah. I started taking the doctor Riggs 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:45.120 Relief and it works even better. So achs and pain. 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:48.280 So like when you're like dancing all like for eight 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.720 hours straight, take this stuff and you will be back 0:07:51.880 --> 0:07:54.120 at it. Oh my gosh, my partner is gonna be like, 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:57.400 who are you? You're a different person, and yeah, I 0:07:57.440 --> 0:08:20.000 got the inside scoop. Okay, well obviously we can. I don't. Also, 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:23.680 being somebody who's you know, gone through stuff publicly, I 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:26.000 know that sometimes it can be weird to talk about 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:28.760 certain things, so there's no pressure to cover stuff that 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.640 you don't want to cover or but obviously you did 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:37.199 make headlines, um, which I get. You're not alone in this. 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:39.520 I do get it, and I know you know. It's 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.400 like I I tried to explain it when people ask 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:44.960 me in interviews where it's just like it's hard to 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:47.280 talk about at least for me, and like my situation 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:48.839 it was hard for me to talk about and it's 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:51.920 so weird because it's just like I carry around so 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:54.880 much like embarrassment with it that it's just like I 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:56.760 don't want to be like brought back to that place 0:08:56.840 --> 0:09:00.600 every single time somebody does an interview with me. Just 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:02.920 asked me the same question again, and it's just like 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:05.920 you really want to move forward. But I also think 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:10.120 what is so important when you do make headlines like 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:12.240 that is to hear from the actual person and their 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:14.880 perspective because at least for me personally. I feel like 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.439 so much got twisted in the media in my situation 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:20.480 where I just like I still haven't really cleared much up, 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.560 but I could imagine something similar happened to you or 0:09:25.080 --> 0:09:29.960 one one thousand percent Like it started, the story started 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.200 getting twisted, and it started getting to the point where 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:37.079 I like robbed a convenience store like it was. It 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:41.400 was the media like twisting everything. But I mean, I 0:09:41.480 --> 0:09:44.640 just had to stay true to myself. Um. I mean 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:47.040 I was getting interviews and it always went back to 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.320 two thousand and sixteen. The headlines started. So I was 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:53.600 younger than I was, probably like fifteen turning sixteen. So 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:57.160 from your perspective, walk me through what happened back then. 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:01.760 Well back then, I mean, well everyone knows the story. 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:07.079 So my story that I told it was the actual truth. Um, 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:11.160 the media turned it and it started becoming like I 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:16.080 was lying, um and everything like that, and it just 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:20.439 got misscrewed. And but and then like all the shaming, 0:10:20.679 --> 0:10:22.360 Like I think the hardest thing that I had to 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:26.680 deal with back then was going on social media and 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:31.520 looking up messages being like from little kids being like 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:34.160 you used to be my role model and now you're not. 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:39.640 Like stuff like that killed me out of everything, Like 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:44.280 I'd wake up crying every day. Um, and then you 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:46.880 know she was my she was my girlfriend at the time. 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:50.800 She's my wife now she like kind of like slap me, 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.000 he said, snap out of it, Like this is not 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.400 who you are, Like you can't let them win. Like 0:10:56.760 --> 0:10:59.199 I know who you are. I know the person you are. 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:02.400 You gotta keep fighting and change people's minds about you 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:05.199 because this is not This is not you. Like what 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:07.920 people think about you is not the real you. So 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:10.160 you have to keep fighting. You have to be a fighter. 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.200 So I was. I started fighting every day trying to 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:19.520 change my image because you know, being uh like a celebrity, 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:23.839 I guess, um, and I had this persona of like 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:29.480 the rock star of swimming, so I had that better. Yeah. 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:32.400 So I had that bad boy image and I had to, 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.600 like I feel like I had to live up to it. Um, 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:38.439 but it deep down it wasn't really me. I wasn't 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:42.679 truly happy with myself until I found out, Like until 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:45.400 I had a family on my own and my entire 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:48.680 life changed. Do you how old are your kids or 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:50.400 how many? First of all, how many kids do you 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:54.240 have two kids, kid and my boy he's four years old. 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.720 Then I had a world live that is too Oh 0:11:57.800 --> 0:12:03.480 you got babies. I got babies. Every day It's like 0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:07.079 it's a gift. Yeah, every day I wake up, I'm like, jeez, 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.920 this is this is what life is. Yeah. Do you 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:13.280 feel like you from that experience that we were just 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:15.560 kind of talking about a little bit, like you, what's 0:12:15.600 --> 0:12:18.000 like your biggest takeaway or learning lesson or something that 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:21.040 maybe you would pass down to your children. And you know, 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.880 someone asked me, like, are you gonna let your kids 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:29.000 know like what happened with me? And I was like, yes, 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:32.520 I'm gonna set them down and tell them like everything 0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:34.800 that happened, because I want them to know. And this 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:37.120 is probably one of the things that I want to 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.600 get them across and things. Thing. The thing that I 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:43.840 learned was you know, in life, you're gonna get knocked down, 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:47.360 and I'm gonna be like your dad got knocked down 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:55.280 to the very bottom. I lost everything, all my sponsors, friends, money, 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:58.000 like you name it. I lost everything. I was like 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:01.160 the most hated man in the world. Like at one point, 0:13:01.720 --> 0:13:05.720 it was just brutal, and but that's what happens. In 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.800 life sometimes, but it's how you get up and how 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:12.000 you keep moving forward is that is what's going to 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.640 define you as a person. And that's what I want 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:17.400 to like teach my kids, like in life, you're going 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:19.400 to get knocked out, but you gotta keep up. You 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:23.600 gotta get up and keep moving, keep moving forward. So 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:26.559 that's definitely what I want to teach them. Yeah, that's 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:29.400 a great takeaway. I feel I feel similar towards that. 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:33.040 Like when you do go through something publicly, it's interesting too, 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:36.000 because you know, a part of you feels like, Okay, 0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:38.040 this is I deserve it, and then a part of 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:40.920 you feels like, oh my gosh, this is such a 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:44.640 bandwagon effect of so many people having this mob mentality 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:47.880 that it's hard to see straight and for in my experience, 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:50.719 like when I would read certain things about me, it's like, 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.320 even though I know myself, it's like kind of what 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.400 you were saying and you're now wife was trying to 0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:57.440 probably tell you and get you through, it's just like 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:00.080 you kind of lose sight of who you are and 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.760 you kind of start to believe everything that's being told 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:05.079 about you, and it's really hard to like bring yourself 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:07.600 back down and just pick I'm a good person at 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:10.679 my core, Like I messed up bad, but I want to, like, 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.760 you know, show who I am. And I deserve a 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:17.160 second chance at life. You know, you know everyone in 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:21.160 life does does deserve a second chance. I agree with that, 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:26.240 and it's just how you how you use it, use 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:29.720 that second chance. And I changed and I started people 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:35.360 started seeing the real Ryan mocktey Um and this past 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:41.400 Olympic trials, Um, I saw a huge change. Um, Like 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:44.080 I got like a standing innovation when I got finished 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:48.760 my last race. U just people all around reaching out 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:52.040 to me on social media, like on the street being like, 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:54.320 oh my gosh, you're a huge role model like that, 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:57.160 just like it's like a full circle moment. May my 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:01.120 heart explode? Yeah? Like yes, I'm like like people are 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:03.640 starting to see the real me now, Like what my 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:08.360 closest family, like my family, my closest friends like that 0:15:08.480 --> 0:15:12.480 knew me, that stuck by me. Um, people are starting 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:15.520 to see that. And it was awesome. It was amazing feeling. 0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:17.800 So this might be a dumb question, but I feel 0:15:17.840 --> 0:15:20.880 like I don't know too much about the Olympics. So which, 0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:23.680 like were you in the most recent Olympics or is 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:26.480 this just walk me through all of this because I 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:28.280 know nothing, so I don't even know how to phrase 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:32.400 these questions. Okay. Um So, in two thousand four I 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:37.240 got a gold and silver at the Olympics. That was 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:41.000 my first Olympics. In two thousand eight, I got four 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:45.720 Olympic medals. In two thousand and twelve I got five. 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:50.880 Was in sixteen I got one. Um so I just 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:55.040 missed this last uh this past Olympics. Um I fell short. 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:57.440 And you know, I think it was just I put 0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:00.880 a lot of weight on under my shoulders just because 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:04.120 I think I wanted it more for everyone and everyone 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:09.040 wrong then for myself. Um I wanted definitely more for 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:12.800 my family and not me. So I felt short. But 0:16:13.840 --> 0:16:16.360 you know the turn around, everything that happened, like everything 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:19.640 is meant to like everything happens for a reason, and 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:22.600 you know, like the whole thing, like and you can 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:26.280 take away from this too, Like in two thousand and sixteen, 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:28.880 everything that all that bad stuff that happened to me, 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:31.240 it was a sign that like I had to wake 0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:33.880 up and smell the coffee, like I had a like 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:36.040 if I was going down this path of like just 0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:39.360 this rock star image. I probably wouldn't have kids right now, 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:44.800 and who knows where i'd be. Um, So everything does 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:48.440 happen for a reason and you just gotta keep moving 0:16:48.440 --> 0:17:10.040 forward with your head up. Yeah, totally Again, could be 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:13.560 a totally obvious question. But you have, like you people 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:17.320 like try out every new Olympic season basically, and then 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:19.760 if you don't make that cut, then obviously you're not 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:23.480 in it. Yes, So a month before the Olympics, the 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:27.640 actual Olympic Games, we have in the US Olympic trials 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:31.879 and you have to get first or second out of 0:17:32.080 --> 0:17:34.880 every swimmer in the United States. You have to get 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:39.080 first or second in your event. And then once you 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.919 get first or second, you make the Olympic team. Then 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:45.680 you go to the Olympics and compete for United States 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:49.520 against the world. What is that like like being actually 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:52.959 because it just sounds so insane, like really like, you know, 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:56.360 competing for your country. But then also you know so 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:59.440 many people are watching and cheering you on or maybe 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:02.120 not cheer you on, and like what is that genuinely 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:04.919 feel like When you're in that moment, it is the 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:08.600 greatest feeling in the world, Like you're not swimming just 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.840 for yourself. You're swimming for your entire country, the country 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:15.680 that you like. When I put on that swim cap, 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:18.120 that the one that you said you, hey, don't ever 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:21.240 put me in a swim cap. When I was putting 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:24.480 on that American flag swim cap and having my name 0:18:24.600 --> 0:18:29.040 under the American flag, that just was like, you know, 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:32.359 I freaking made it. Yeah, thing like that is that 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.320 is the best, the greatest feeling in the world. When 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:37.960 you were younger, did you know, like you said, you 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:40.680 started swimming at a young age, and both your parents obviously, 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.240 um kind of introduced you to that world. But did 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:45.960 you know, like or I guess at what age did 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:48.399 you know, Okay, this is going to be my career, 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:50.320 Like this is everything to me, and I just want 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:55.520 to like I was a late Bloomerum yeah, I wasn't 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:59.800 that good. And like in high school like growing up interesting, 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:02.880 Um yeah, Um, I just had to work my butt 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:06.280 off every day. Um when I got to college, UM, 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:09.520 I still wasn't sure like if swimming was for me. 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:12.800 Like I mean I love swimming, but like I wasn't 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:18.560 great swimming. College was so hard just because I mean 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:21.360 coming from high school to college and like you get 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:24.000 introduced to like the college scene, like all that, like 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:27.320 it was just it was brutal. Um. But in swimming, 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:30.200 it took me a while. After probably about my freshman year, 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:32.360 I was like, you know what, I think I can 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:34.800 make a name for myself in this sport. You're a 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:38.880 freshman year of college. Yeah. So for anybody out there 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:41.000 that's listening to this right now and you're down on 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:44.000 yourself in high school for not performing your best, you 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:48.120 heard it from Ryan Locktey and don't give up. Don't 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:51.080 give up. You never give up. Just keep going. Go 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:53.919 for that gold, go for the goal. That's crazy. And 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:57.360 you won your So your first Olympics, you got a gold. Yes, 0:19:57.480 --> 0:20:01.280 my first Olympics. So my Firstlympics was after my sophomore 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:04.040 year of college and I got a gold and silver 0:20:04.240 --> 0:20:07.400 at the Olympics. And then seriously I used all that 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:11.199 like momentum that I had from that Olympics to carry 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:16.200 on throughout my swimming career. Um. After the two thousand 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:19.000 four Olympics, I got back to Gainesville, Florida. I went 0:20:19.040 --> 0:20:22.800 to University of Florida. Um, I got back home and 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:26.119 I immediately started setting goals for two I was like, 0:20:26.240 --> 0:20:27.800 I want to do better. I want to get my 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:31.280 gold so um. Yeah, and then it just kept on 0:20:31.359 --> 0:20:33.960 going in that kind of pattern every four years, like 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:37.120 setting new goals, trying to improve myself, trying to make 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:41.320 myself better every day. And what what's the training like 0:20:41.440 --> 0:20:44.880 behind that to like really get or I guess too 0:20:44.920 --> 0:20:47.359 batter yourself, Like what things were you doing differently? Just 0:20:47.400 --> 0:20:50.919 like practicing more and being physically in the water. You know. 0:20:51.000 --> 0:20:54.120 I started setting more, um, short term goals every day 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:58.720 in practice. Um because all those little short term goals 0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:02.520 like having short uh those goals every day like they're 0:21:02.520 --> 0:21:05.720 gonna add up. Um. So I started setting little goals 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:09.440 every day. UM. Started taking care of my body outside 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:14.920 the pool, um and just pushing myself. UM. Started doing 0:21:15.240 --> 0:21:19.560 more weightlifting, UM things like that. So you're just like 0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:22.600 all in all bettered yourself and took it like up 0:21:22.600 --> 0:21:25.640 a notch, really like took it next level to perform. 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:28.960 I just kept on taking my body. I kept on 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:32.080 pushing my body to like I can out train anyone. 0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:36.480 I feel like, just because I don't have a stopping point. Yeah, 0:21:36.640 --> 0:21:39.880 I will go until I pass out. I'm bleeding from 0:21:39.880 --> 0:21:43.720 my eyeballs, Like I'll just keep going because the goals 0:21:43.760 --> 0:21:46.000 that I wanted, that was long term goals that I wanted. 0:21:46.680 --> 0:21:49.040 Nothing was going to get in my way. And hard 0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:53.560 work yeah, hard work, Yeah, it sounds like it. And 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:56.600 I'm I'm asking that because I do want this podcast 0:21:56.600 --> 0:21:58.760 and I want people listening, Like, especially when I have 0:21:58.880 --> 0:22:01.360 guests like you and somebody that's worked so hard for something, 0:22:01.400 --> 0:22:03.680 I want people to have a takeaway and then maybe 0:22:03.680 --> 0:22:06.920 people in a similar situation would be like, Okay, So 0:22:07.760 --> 0:22:10.040 even though there were tough times, like he got through it, 0:22:10.080 --> 0:22:13.080 he's still persevering. He's still trying to, you know, make 0:22:14.680 --> 0:22:17.200 Olympics like he had. He really hasn't given up, which 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:20.800 I think is really inspiring. Um, what do you do now, Like, 0:22:20.840 --> 0:22:23.200 what's your day to day? I know you're still swimming, 0:22:23.240 --> 0:22:26.280 but I'm still I'm still getting in the water. Um. 0:22:26.320 --> 0:22:32.600 You know. You know, after after Olympic trials in July, 0:22:33.600 --> 0:22:39.000 it was really hard for me. Um, Like mentally, I 0:22:39.040 --> 0:22:41.720 mean physically, I was drained from the sports swimming. I 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:44.760 mean I've been doing it for what twenty eight years, 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:52.520 so I was a little tired. Um, But mentally I 0:22:52.560 --> 0:22:56.639 was I was really frustrated with myself because you know, 0:22:56.840 --> 0:22:59.800 I care so much about everyone and I wanted me 0:23:00.000 --> 0:23:02.760 to make the Olympic team for everyone else, to prove 0:23:02.800 --> 0:23:07.600 everyone wrong, and that I didn't make it. I was 0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:12.520 I would wake up after Olympic trials, like when I 0:23:12.560 --> 0:23:14.680 was home, I would wake up, go to the mirror 0:23:14.720 --> 0:23:17.639 in the bathroom and be like, I'm a I'm a 0:23:17.680 --> 0:23:21.160 failure because I felt like I failed, I failed everyone, 0:23:22.040 --> 0:23:24.800 and it was the hardest thing to move on throughout 0:23:24.880 --> 0:23:29.679 my day. I was just I was depressed. I was 0:23:29.720 --> 0:23:32.920 like I just failed everyone that like was cheered for me, 0:23:33.080 --> 0:23:36.679 Like I failed my family, like looking at my kids 0:23:36.880 --> 0:23:41.000 and my wife every day being like like your dad's nothing. 0:23:41.359 --> 0:23:43.560 And then there's a different way to look at it too, 0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:45.800 where it's just like but you still went out there 0:23:45.880 --> 0:23:49.479 and tried and like that's so. So that was like 0:23:49.560 --> 0:23:52.760 that was the hardest thing to me overcome that, How 0:23:52.800 --> 0:23:58.720 did you overcome that? Um honestly playing with my kids 0:23:58.760 --> 0:24:01.879 every day, like having my kids come up to me 0:24:01.880 --> 0:24:05.840