Non Phelps/Lochte Swimmer Post: Shanteau, Hoff, Peirsol, Rice
Eric Shanteau on his recovery from cancer:
From Katie Hoff's school newspaper:
Katie Hoff is loving life right now. The rigorous training for Beijing, where she became more acclimated with water than a fish, is finally behind her. The early-morning wake-up calls, the strict diet, the rigid regimen and the public appearances have briefly been placed on the backburner. And the media pressure, the questions, the competition, the stress - well, she won't get that again until London in 2012.
Yes, Katie Hoff, she of three Olympic medals, is finding out it's pretty cool to be a normal 19-year-old college student at Loyola. At least for a little while.
"It's been nice to hang out with friends and stay up late again," Hoff said. "I'm getting back into swimming practice, but I've had some time off which has been great."
Professional athletes rarely blend in with their peers, and it's particularly difficult when your face has recently been plastered all over ESPN and NBC. But Hoff has been out and about the Evergreen campus just like any other Loyola student. Granted, she's only a part-time student taking one class, but she says there's been no gawking or excessive hero worship.
"I get recognized, but usually it's just a 'good job,' not hysteria," Hoff said. "This is how I expected it to be - to be treated normally. I don't want people to talk about swimming. I just want to talk to people like a normal person, discuss weekend plans and such."
While Hoff hasn't had a lot of free time to get socially acquainted, she has made several friends on the swimming team. All of them agree she's just like any other college student.
"She's completely normal," swimmer Stephanie Falcone said. "Being with her is like being with anyone else at school."
Hoff has already given back to the H2Ounds, acting as an assistant coach to Brian Loeffler, who was instrumental in bringing the talented swimmer to Loyola. Loeffler met Hoff before she left for Beijing and suggested that when she finished she enroll at Loyola. He explained how fellow Olympian Michael Phelps had helped out the swim team in the past and that Hoff might be able to do the same thing, while also working towards a degree.
"This gives her the opportunity to socially interact with people her own age," Loeffler said. "It gives a little normalcy to her life. Loyola's a great place for that."
Hoff said she heard great things about Loyola from friends, and knew she would fit in right away. Plus, she liked the school's academic reputation. Hoff, who was home-schooled her entire life, already appreciates the classroom experience.
"It's been nice because I didn't have the whole classroom discussion at home, so this helps me elaborate on my thoughts," Hoff said.
She takes an introductory philosophy course with professor Nina Guise-Gerrity three days a week, and will increase her work load in January when all the post-Olympic hubbub dies down. But with World Championships coming up in June, and a contract with Speedo that runs through 2016, she won't be graduating in four or five years. Right now, swimming is her profession, so she's going to take her time getting that degree.
"I'm not going to rush it," she said.
Besides attending class, Hoff will be roaming the pool decks at the FAC, offering up tips and advice to the swimmers. While she won't be swimming or competing - professional athletes can't compete in college - her instruction will be invaluable, according to Loeffler. With the glut of swimmers in the pool, Loeffler needs the extra set of eyes at practice. And it certainly doesn't hurt that those eyes belong to an Olympic athlete.
"She's got a wealth of international experience that even I can learn from," Loeffler said. "She can share those little tricks and techniques. She also has a lot of credibility; when she suggests something, the team is going to listen."
Don't expect Hoff to take charge or reveal some deep secret that will turn them all into Olympians, however. Her advice will be, for the most part, simple and straightforward. For example, she already noticed that many of the swimmers were pulling through the water with their bottom arms instead of their top arms, a rather common mistake. But correcting one mistake can make a big difference, Hoff said.
Her teammates certainly respect the advice. While the H2Ounds felt that inevitable sense of shock when an Olympic athlete showed up the first day of practice, for the most part, they see her as a supportive peer.
"We were star-struck at first, but it's been really cool working with her, and she's already given us advice on technique," sophomore swimmer Jayne Healey said. "And obviously we're going to listen to her because she was in the Olympics."
Hoff is more than happy to help, especially since Loyola gave her the opportunity to be a part of their community.
"If I can assist five or ten people, I'll feel like I've really helped," she said. "It's nice to give back to the swimming community. I want to pass on the wisdom I've gained from my coaches."
Here's Stephanie Rice on the red carpet of the Sport Australian Hall of Fame Dinner:
Aaron Peirsol update:
... Bank of America, the Official Bank of NASCARR, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway today announced that five-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Aaron Peirsol will serve as the honorary grand marshal for the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesT race Saturday, Oct. 11 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (ABC, 7 p.m.).
“Bank of America has been such a huge supporter of my Olympic journey,” said Peirsol. “When they invited me to come to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and be the Honorary Grand Marshal for the Bank of America 500, I was thrilled to get my first chance to make the start-command and get up close and personal with the action at one of the most exciting races in NASCAR.”
Olympian to Visit Race Fans in the Stands During the race, Aaron Peirsol will be among the stars to visit the fans in the Bank of America Turn 4 Club seating section at LMS, along with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers including Juan Pablo Montoya and Reed Sorenson.