A lot to Gaines: Decorated Olympian humbled by meet

In most circumstances, it would be the young college athletes who would have the most to gain from a conversation with a decorated Olympian before their most significant meet of the year — Army vs. Navy.

Not so, from the perspective of Rowdy Gaines.

“How do you give a pep talk to a bunch of heroes?” Gaines said.

As waves of animated support from opposing crowds filled Lejeune Hall with dizzying, finger-in-the-socket atmosphere — that excitement flowed through Gaines, lighting his eyes brighter than the overhead lights as he discussed the slew of meet records Midshipmen swimmers snapped on Thursday night.

As sophomore Martina Thomas ferried in for a new meet record in the 200 freestyle, leading the charge of three other Mids, Gaines exclaimed, “Holy that’s good!”

“It brings a whole different kind of energy and thrill to have an Olympic legend and now the person who literally commentates the Olympics here supporting us, supporting the meet,” junior Ryan Waters said. “It brings a whole ‘nother kind of energy and brings our program to the next level.”

Gaines garnered three Olympic gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics after claiming five NCAA titles at Auburn, before going on to serve as a broadcaster for NBC on seven Olympic Games to date.

Gaines began to broadcast the annual Army-Navy swimming clash in 2015 when head women’s coach John Morrison realized Gaines would be in attendance. If he was here, Morrison mused, he might as well call it.

Ever since Gaines’ arrival, the bleachers have overflowed.

“It’s great having him associated with the meet, just being here,” Navy deputy director of athletics Eric Ruden said, “but also, to have the No. 1 swimming analyst — at least in the country if not the world —on Navy’s air is a great opportunity for us.”

When swimmers walked by the broadcasting table, some stopped to chat with the storied swimmer. Captain Kelly Harrington presented him with a gift of Navy swim apparel after the victory.

“When they walk by here, you’d think they’re walking past the Jesus Christ of swimming,” longtime Navy announcer Pete Medhurst said.

Swimmers never know Gaines, who also called the 2017 meet, would be in attendance until Navy athletics released a statement just beforehand.

“When our coaches told us that Rowdy Gaines was going to be here again announcing, the whole team was like, ‘What?! Oh my gosh!’ ” said Thomas, who is a sophomore. “It’s really amazing … we watch all these Olympians. We look up to them. It’s awesome to have one from our parents’ generation being here, supporting us.”

And yet, Gaines doesn’t crave the attention. He’d rather it linger on those in the pool.

“You wouldn’t know he’s a multi-time Olympian,” Medhurst said. “He’s so down to earth.”

For Gaines, the lure of covering ArmyNavy swimming surpassed the patrioticallydriven curiosity that draws interest to any time the two archrivals meet.

Gaines’ great-uncle served as an admiral in the Navy, and as a youngster he took a tour around the Naval side of Washington, DC. It rooted inside him a love for Navy that only grew like a great oak with the incoming of football head coach Ken Niumatalolo, whom Gaines shares his faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with as well as a temporary residency in Hawaii.

Roots only sink deeper as Gaines got to know Morrison at the top of the century, when the latter led Lehigh at the same time Gaines directed swim camps at the school.

That long relationship paid off. Morrison can see a boost in his swimmer’s spirits, knowing Gaines would narrate their achievements for a night.

“LeJeune Hall is probably one of the best swim dual meet environments I’ve ever been in, across the country. Having Rowdy Gaines here just adds to that level of excitement,” Morrison said. “The adrenaline just skyrockets and the girls feed on that, there’s no doubt about that.”

As deep as Gaines’ connection to Navy swimming has sowed, there’s no part of him that believes he could ever measure up to a Mid.

“I never had the toughness to go to Navy. There’s a different kind of toughness,” Gaines said. “I have toughness in the water, but out of the water? They have toughness in out of the water. I’m a wimp out of the water.”

Gaines has walked through shadows, having to stomach missing the 1980 Olympics after the United States officially boycotted the Games, and has suffered several serious illnesses throughout his life.

To Gaines, none of that could hold water to going through plebe year.

“My freshman year, I walked in, ate in the dining hall and slept until 9 o’clock in the morning. I didn’t have to cut my hair. I could call my mommy one day after I got here and say, ‘Mommy, I miss you,’” Gaines said.

“The athletes I’ve seen come through the program that have now graduated, I wouldn’t say their life is a piece of cake because there’s always going to be those peaks and valleys, but I can’t imagine having to go to school here and then be able to be prepared for what life throws at you. I think being here prepares you for anything I could imagine,” Gaines added.

Every Midshipmen who has skimmed the waters during Gaines’ three broadcasts has impressed him. One who struck the chord most was the woman who left the program last year as the winningest swimmer and most decorated athlete in Navy history — Lauren Barber.

Barber won gold in all 16 relays and 12 individual events she swam at the Patriot League championships over the course of four years, in which, with Barber’s help, Navy won the overall crown every time.

“I think she epitomized what I see in a lot of the other women and the aspect of team,” Gaines said.

Though most would think swimming is an individual sport, solitary athletes gliding through a soundless lane before popping out and checking their time, Gaines values the sense of teamwork between swimmers highly.

Few, if any, embody that spirit more than what Gaines has seen from Navy.

“Next summer will be my eighth Olympics, and I don’t even see it in our US swimmers, the ability to come together like a (Midshipman),” Gaines said.

The weight of an Army-Navy meeting is not superficial to Gaines. Having swum collegiately at Auburn, the archrivalry shared with Alabama transcended football, as it does between Annapolis and West Point. Gaines recalls his athletic director maybe jokingly (probably not) telling him as long as he beat Alabama, it didn’t matter what else he did all winter.

Though he can understand a rivalry, this one feels so much bigger to Gaines. Even as the Navy women scored enough points, 151, to secure their victory midway through the meet, Gaines implored fans on the broadcast, “Don’t turn off the TV! There’s still a lot of swimming left!”

“Nothing’s like Army-Navy,” Gaines said, “but there is a sense of pride that lasts the whole year. I don’t think you can find that in any other meet.”