Adventure in eating awaits Olympian
The son of a nuclear engineer and a nurse, swimming champion Nathan Adrian grew up in the Seattle area. At age 5, he began swimming to keep up with his older siblings. Rio marks the third Olympic Games for the 27-year-old champ.
Having won four Olympic medals (three gold and a silver), he is looking forward to helping the United States win a few more.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, the 6-foot-6inch athlete also models for Speedo swimwear and is Tommy Hilfiger’s menswear ambassador.
An edited version of our conversation follows. Have you visited Brazil prior to these games?
I have not. I am most excited to see the venues for the Olympics. You mentioned in the past that you wanted to get to Thailand and the Philippines. Have you been able to visit yet?
I have not! Since we last talked, I have basically been training and cutting out any unnecessary travel. Hopefully, in the next year or so I will be able to go. I do have plans, however, to compete in Tahiti in the fall, so that should be exciting! You’re an adventurous eater. Are you looking forward to enjoying Brazilian cuisine?
When we’re competing, we pretty much stick to Americanized meals to play it safe. But once competition is over, I’m looking forward to trying everything. I’m half Chinese and grew up eating food that other kids might think was unusual. I grew up in a family where we all loved food, and I like it all! When you are on vacation swimming, do people want to race you? And, if so, do you oblige?
Ha! Yes, all the time. And, yeah, I don’t mind a race every now and then. I wish race etiquette was more clearly defined. Am I supposed to let them win? Or am I supposed to keep it close? Or should I treat it like a real race? I am not trying to make anybody feel bad about their swimming skills here. You mentioned that you ate some of the most delicious food you ever had in Barcelona, Spain. What other cities stand out for their food culture?
Rome was amazing. I actually really enjoy Austin, Texas, as well. It’s such a unique place, because Austin as a city is fairly liberal, but there is still a very traditionalist Texas vibe there. You can get a fancy meal at a highend barbecue joint, but at the same time they have peanuts on the table, and you leave the shells on the floor. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
Live in the moment. Spend a bit of time each day to appreciate where you are and what you are doing. That way when you are on the flight back home and asking yourself, “Where did the time go?” you can have an answer for yourself. When you go away, what are some of your musthave items?
So, when traveling, I really need to make sure to have my posture shirt — to help prevent any back or shoulder pain — and an eye mask and ear plugs. You never know when your hotel, which looked amazing online, is right next to a freeway. For more from the reporter, visit www.jaehakim.com.