RYAN LOCHTE
Three-Time Olympian, 11-Time Olympic Medalist
It’s no secret in the swimming community that Ryan Lochte is a bonafide free spirit. Between appearing at
the Golden Goggle Awards in an all-white leisure suit and posing on the podium with a blinged-out grill,
Lochte makes it clear that he’s out to have a good time. In Lochte’s case, however, there’s no point in playing
hard if you don’t precede it with some serious hard work.
Ryan has 11 Olympic medals to his name, including 5 golds, as well as 7 NCAA championships, 51 major
international medals and a handful of world records. He’s also got a pet Doberman named Carter, whom
Ryan certainly considers man’s best friend.
Lochte started his swimming career early under the tutelage of his father Steven and mother Ike, who
claimed that their son had an amazing feel for the water by the time he was 5 or 6. Ryan was prone to
goofing around, however, and has stated in the past that his goal at practice was to get kicked out of the
pool. Ryan continued pursuing swimming with a heavy dose of horseplay until his junior year of high school,
when it dawned on him that he had a real shot at being a professional swimmer.
He attended the University of Florida, where he honed his skills with coach Gregg Troy, and took home
numerous awards and honors. Flash forward to today. Ryan Lochte is considered by many to be the best
swimmer in the world, known for his incredible short course ability, overall well roundedness and amazing
talent for travelling incredible distances while kicking underwater.
It’s only fitting that Ryan is well known for his kick, given that he designed his own pair of custom shoes for
Speedo. Neon green, covered in rhinestones and complete with Ryan’s signature exclamation “Jeah!”, this
footwear could have come from no one else. The same can be said for Ryan’s performance in the pool.
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