I have always loved coaches. They are sacred to me. But it’s hard to explain without sharing my history.
My first coach was Eric Orders at the Gaston Y in North Carolina. He had a beard, like the Long John Silver’s fisherman, and only one arm. I remember liking him, despite his long, long speeches, and […]

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Want a signature Aaron Peirsol hot tub? They exist. They make them for the man Surfing Magazine calls “the pimp.”
I can almost hear Peirsol laughing to himself in an unassuming way. Nothing seems to faze this guy, or puff up his ego, not since he turned pro at the tender age of twenty.
Peirsol is a […]

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Returning to the pool, years after Olympic competition, can be an aggravating and humbling experience. The rank ‘n file of the aquatic world — the aged water-aerobic women, the obese water-walkers, the athletes with blown-out knees — they rule the YMCAs and city facilities and the JCCs.

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Columbia, Missouri, Feb 17th, 2008: The Missouri Grand Prix
After a winding walk and an elevator lift, I was led through several doors into a grand pine-paneled room. The ceiling was vaulted, the air cool and thin. There was a conference table. It was oblong, covering more floor space than my entire kitchen. It made me […]

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Back in the day, we used to lather up in motor-oil and duck-tape our dangly bits down. We scraped our bodies with Bic Razors until blood trailed behind us on the ground. All of my buddies knew of one overzealous swimmer who shaved a nipple off at least once. Everybody’s heard that one, haven’t they? […]

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