College: Univ. of Southern California '03
College Major: Communication
Coached By: John Dussliere

Career Highlights

Took gold in the 10K at the 2007 Open Water World Championship Trials...won the 25K and earned the bronze in the 10K at the 2007 Open Water Nationals...won the 25K and finished third in the 5K & 10K at the 2006 Open Water Nationals...member of the 1998 Goodwill Games...won four gold medals at the 1999 World University Games and a silver at the 2001 WUGs.

World Champs History: 2007: 4th, 25K; 17th, 5K; 20th, 10K
WUGs History: 2001: Silver, 800m FR-R...1999: Gold, 200m & 400m & 800m FR & 800m FR-R
2006 World Rankings: 142nd, 400m free
2005 World Rankings: 137th, 200m free; 61st, 400m free
Briefly: Won gold at the 2007 10K Open Water Grand Prix...placed seventh in the 2006 Tiburon Open Water Mile

Additional Honors

National Teams: Two-time National B Team (1999, 2006)...1996 National Junior Team
Collegiate: Four-time All-American at USC...1999 Willis Award recipient, given to a freshman on the men's swimming team at USC

Personal

Parents: John and Marjolein...father is a real estate developer and manager, and mother is a homemaker...John was a decathlete in the 1960s and 70s; graduated from Fresno State and continued to pursue the sport after college; won the national title in 1967 and 1971, and narrowly missed making the Olympic Team
Spouse: Wife (Diana) is a Christian preschool teacher...they were married Sept. 20, 2003
Sibling(s): Older sister (Kara) attended USC and was an All-American tennis player...younger brother (Paul) attended Arizona and also played Tennis
Future Professional Aspirations: Possibly coaching if he chooses not to follow in the family business
Job Outside of Swimming: Works with his father in property management and real estate development
Started Swimming: At age 2..."My mom needed a consistent activity that would make me tired."
Sports Played Before Swimming: Basketball and soccer (until the age of 13) in addition to swimming
Hobbies Outside the Pool: Plants trees..."I love avocado and citrus trees. I've planted about 60 of them over the past few years at my parents' 13-acre property in the hills of Santa Barbara. I don't have the time to be a commercial farmer, but planting a tree is very self-satisfying."
Hobbies Outside the Pool: Enjoys announcing swim meets and is the official announcer at UCSB for all of their dual meets; has also been the announcer at USC swim meets and various club meets in Southern California...works at his church as a volunteer in the children's ministry with "AWANA," a program that resembles Boy Scouts; he is a counselor and is in charge of all of the games and activities
Ultimate Way to Relax: Watching TV with his wife
Sponsor(s): TYR
Training Stats: 18,000 meters/day, 4 hours per day in the water and 2 hours of dry land, 6 days per week
More: Considers open water swimming to be his second chance at a swimming career..."Nothing extraordinary happened to me that I can point at as a defining moment, and I have not had to overcome any significant adversity. I made the World Championship team out of desperation. I had intended to be a pool swimmer, but I was never fast enough to make a serious impression on the swimming world. I hadn't been on a U.S. National Team since 2001, and every year since 1999 I had progressively gotten slower. I was tired, burned out, and depressed. I was training incredibly hard, but was not living up to my own expectations. Open water swimming presented a brand new opportunity."
Favorites: Movie: "Chariots of Fire"...TV show: "Lost"... music: Jeremy Camp, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline

Olympic Experience

1-time Olympian;

Olympic Games Beijing 2008, 8th (10km Freestyle - Men)

World Championships Experience

Most recent: 2008 – silver (25km Freestyle - Men), 7th (10km Freestyle - Men)
Years of participation: 10km Freestyle - Men 2007, 2008; 25km Freestyle - Men 2007, 2008; 5km Freestyle - Men 2007
Medals: 1 (1 silver)

Silver – 2008 (25km Freestyle - Men)

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