The Rush: Ryan Lochte on the intense pressure of the Olympics
12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte joined The Rush to talk about a potential comeback, the intense scrutiny of social media and the Olympics and why he loves his fans.
Video Transcript
RYAN LOCHTE: I keep watching every night the Olympics. And I don't know, there's just, like-- I feel something inside me that's, like, starting to burn, like, maybe I should give this another run.
JARED QUAY: What's up, everybody? I'm here with 12-time Olympic medalist, Ryan Lochte.
How are you doing today, brother?
RYAN LOCHTE: I'm doing great. How are you guys doing?
JARED QUAY: I'm doing amazing, man, watching these Olympics and just seeing how fun it is, man. I missed this, man, it's been five years. I'm excited it's back.
RYAN LOCHTE: I wish I could say the same. I mean, I wish I was there.
JARED QUAY: Yeah.
RYAN LOCHTE: It's actually really weird. You know, the past four Olympics, I've been there. And watching it in my living room I'm like, man, I should be right there on the pool deck cheering my teammates on. I don't know, there's just, like-- I feel something inside me that's, like, starting to burn, like, maybe I should give this another run. I don't know.
JARED QUAY: You won a gold back in 2004-- let's call it at the Myspace days, right-- and then also in 2016, which is the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter days. And so as somebody who's been through this range, how has the progression of social media increased pressure towards high profile athletes?
RYAN LOCHTE: You know, I got a-- I got a big wind of it after 2016. You know, looking on social media and seeing just the hate comments that I had, it killed me almost. Like, I would just wake up and just look at the comments and start, like, crying. I'm like jeez, like, this is hard.
And I can see it, like, the whole thing with Simone Biles. I can see the whole pressure thing because it takes a toll on you, like, mentally, and it feels like you have the whole world on your shoulders.
JARED QUAY: What's some of the crazy, like, cool stories and some of the bad stories of you being such open to your fan base
RYAN LOCHTE: The good things is, like, people just coming up, like, even until today. Like, they come up to me, like, oh, can I get your autograph? I'm like, me? Are you serious? Like, I've signed millions but it's still like the first time that I've ever signed an autograph.
JARED QUAY: That feels special every time?
RYAN LOCHTE: Every time. Like, I-- because it happened to me. I saw, like, a person that I looked up to, and I asked for an autograph and he said no. I was-- like, I almost started crying. I'm like, what the heck? So I made a point of being like, if I ever get in that position, I would never do that.
JARED QUAY: What's one body muscle that a swimmer needs more than any other body muscle that you need to work out the most to be a great swimmer?
RYAN LOCHTE: Core. Swimming-- swimming all starts with your core. If you have a strong core, you're in good shape.
JARED QUAY: I feel like as a swimmer, do you need to be doing squats? Like, do you really need, like, calf muscles?
RYAN LOCHTE: I mean, it will help, of course. But everything from streamlined, from the push ups, from the starts, from the strokes, it all stems from your core.
JARED QUAY: You are a legend at the University of Florida, and you actually made the Olympics as a Gator. And now, there's this new name, image, and likeness rule which has allowed college athletes to have sponsorship. Are you a fan of that, or are you not?
RYAN LOCHTE: Of course I'm a fan. I mean, when I was in college, I was like, if you can make a name for yourself, you-- can get paid doing it, you should.
JARED QUAY: If they even allowed this in 2004 and, you know, if you were able to capitalize on it, do you feel like you would have had you know, maybe one of these seven-figure paychecks they're giving out to, you know, college kids? [CHUCKLES]
RYAN LOCHTE: I mean, [CHUCKLES] swimming's a lot different.
[LAUGHTER]
We're not like basketball and football. We don't get those kind of checks. But I mean, if that was me and we were able to do that, oh, heck yeah.
JARED QUAY: Well, speaking of sponsorship, you're here on behalf of Tru Niagen. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
RYAN LOCHTE: I'm 36, and in the sport of swimming, that's-- you're a grandpa. So-- and I have two kids, my energy started just draining. I'm like, what can I do that won't take me away from my family? So we found Tru Niagen.
I started taking it, and I just started noticing my energy levels started-- like, I wasn't getting tired. I wasn't, like, loopy. I was, like-- I was coming back to afternoon practice with all this energy and the younger guys were like-- they call me "Big Daddy"-- they were like, Big Daddy, like, what are you doing? Like, did you take pre-workout-- like, how do you have all this energy? I'm like, no.
I didn't tell my secret, but I was taking Tru Niagen and I had just all this energy all the time. I mean, I need all the help I can get because getting out of bed, it's a lot harder when I was-- now, than when I was 20, so.
JARED QUAY: Well, Ryan, thank you for rushing me, man. I wish you all the best,
RYAN LOCHTE: Of course, of course.
JARED QUAY: And I'm going to try some of this Tru Niagen too, because I need that energy sometimes because I got a girl, too. So thank you, man. I appreciate it.
RYAN LOCHTE: Yep, you got it.
