Olympian Nathan Adrian chatted about the Olympic Games, Olympic Trials, health, fatherhood, and he remembered the late Olympic coach Jon Urbanchek.
He is an eight-time Olympic medalist swimmer, where five are gold, one is silver, and two are bronze.
2024 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis
Adrian opened up about attending the 2024 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. “It was awesome,” he admitted. “It was beautiful to see. There were so many different levels of greatness… such as the growth of the sport, and the dreams coming true.”
He expressed that he is proud of his Cal teammates and his coach, Dave Durden, for all of their athletic accomplishments at the Olympic Trials.
Ryan Murphy
Adrian had great words about six-time Olympic medalist swimmer Ryan Murphy.
“Ryan Murphy is impressive on so many levels,” he admitted. “What he is doing outside of the sport is incredible as well. ‘Murph’ is always growing, and that is a beautiful thing. It would be easy for him to be the dominant backstroker that he is and not do those things, but he is learning and growing in every aspect of his life, and that is very inspiring. He is really cool,” Adrian elaborated.
U.S. Olympic team athletes that hail from New Jersey
Adrian complimented the “New Jersey crew” for making the 2024 Olympic swimming team such as Jack Alexy and Nic Fink.
“They clearly have some good youth development programs in New Jersey,” Adrian admitted. “I was glad I was able to film that inspirational message video for Jack Alexy… That was cool; Jack is a great guy.”
2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
Following the Olympics this summer in Paris, he is really excited for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will take place on home soil in Los Angeles, California.
While I don’t want to dismiss the Paris Olympics, I get even more goosebumps when I think about Los Angeles. It is going to be insane… I am so excited about Los Angeles; the Olympic Trials got me fired up,” he said.
Dermasport
Adrian noted that his partnership with Dermasport has been going well, especially since he has been spending a lot of time “outside in the sun” this summer.
“I use their sunscreen every single time,” he said. “Not only does it protect your skin, it washes off nicely afterward.”
Fatherhood
In his personal life, he is married to his “wonderful” wife Hallie, and they have two daughters Parker and Brooklyn.
He shared that his two daughters are “doing really good.” “They are great,” he said. “Lately, I have been having some wonderful bonding time with them, which I love. #Girldad indeed.”
“I am really enjoying getting to raise my kids right now,” he said. “They are a wonderful age.”
AC Swim Club
He is the co-owner of the AC Swim Club, which has been ranking well. “We are in the Top 100 age-group swim teams, which is really cool,” he said.
“That was a big honor, and we are one of the smallest teams to receive that honor. Our coaches are doing something right, that’s for sure. To get recognized for it is awesome,” he acknowledged.
Health and wellness journey
Adrian revealed that his health and wellness journey have been going “well.” In January of 2019, he announced that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but he underwent surgery and has been in remission since.
In fact, I am due for my annual physical checkup soon,” he said. “I would encourage all men out there to get their own checkups. Early detection is key.”
‘Perseverance Award’ at the 2019 Golden Goggles
In November of 2019, Adrian was recognized with the Golden Goggle “Perseverance Award” for possessing that indomitable spirit.
Just seven months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, Adrian anchored the 4×100 meter freestyle relay at the FINA World Championships to a championship record and a gold medal.
He earned another World Championships gold medal by swimming in the prelims of the mixed 4 x 100 meter free relay and later anchored the 4 x 100 meter medley relay to secure a silver medal for Team USA.
Just a couple of weeks after that, Adrian made his Pan American Games debut in Lima, Peru, where he would win five medals (two gold and three silver), which was more than any other American male athlete.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Adrian said, “Going the distance.”
“This is my life beyond competitive swimming,” he said. “I will never stop competing.”
Jon Urbanchek
Adrian remembered the late Olympic and university swimming coach Jon Urbanchek, who passed away on May 9, 2024, at the age of 87.
“Jon was a wealth of knowledge, and he was just so profound,” Adrian said. “Jon taught me that a goal without a plan is just a dream. He had a tremendous ability to inspire people around him, which was really unlike anything I had ever seen. Keep it moving.”
“Jon was an absolute legend,” Adrian noted. “His influence extended way beyond the pool and he touched countless people’s lives and hearts. Jon was the man! He was the king of the pool deck indeed.”
Success
On his definition of success, Adrian said, “Success still means growing and improving in whatever it is that I am doing.”
Fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, he concluded, “Thank you to my fans. I still appreciate all their kindness and support.”
To learn more about Nathan Adrian, follow him on Instagram.
