Did anyone see the new Gary Hall, Jr Barbarsol commerical. It is about time swimmers get some good endorsements besides Speedo and the other swimming apparel companies. Madison Ave has really come a long way in the last few years. You would never see a swimmer in a commerical a year after the Olympics before. It is nice to know that all the endorsements aren't going to Phelps even though the boy more than deserves whatever endorsements he get. I mean Phelps is out of this world.
Parents
Former Member
I was in Athens with Gary and know first hand that his absence during one night of finals had nothing to do with lack of TEAM, but everything to do with the time he needed to refocus before the 50, the one event he had to best represent his TEAM and his COUNTRY. As far as the show he puts on before his races - this is his mental game, and as swimmers we should all know there are some things that pump us up. For Gary, it's shadowboxing. For others, it's spitting in their opponents lane (Amy Van Dyken, Alex Popov, Jason Lezak, just to name a few). I'd say shadow boxing is a lot less JERK-like than that.
He also is a big TEAM player when it comes to working with diabetes. Aside from showing thousands of children and adults that you don't have to go blind or lose a limb by age 40 - that you can actually live a normal, or supernormal life - he also raised a ton of money at his first annual Circle of Champions bruncheon held in Miami last December. This year he hopes to double it.
His Team Race Club is the best thing that has happened to swimming in a long time. The funding his foundation provides for elite swimmers from all over the world to come to Islamorada, Florida can't even be matched. Now he has created camps to allow swimmers from all levels take part on this TEAM, in which part of that money will go straight back to paying for more elite swimmers to have the opportunity to keep swimming.
I say Gary is an inspiration and probably the best thing that's ever happened for the promotion of swimming.
I was in Athens with Gary and know first hand that his absence during one night of finals had nothing to do with lack of TEAM, but everything to do with the time he needed to refocus before the 50, the one event he had to best represent his TEAM and his COUNTRY. As far as the show he puts on before his races - this is his mental game, and as swimmers we should all know there are some things that pump us up. For Gary, it's shadowboxing. For others, it's spitting in their opponents lane (Amy Van Dyken, Alex Popov, Jason Lezak, just to name a few). I'd say shadow boxing is a lot less JERK-like than that.
He also is a big TEAM player when it comes to working with diabetes. Aside from showing thousands of children and adults that you don't have to go blind or lose a limb by age 40 - that you can actually live a normal, or supernormal life - he also raised a ton of money at his first annual Circle of Champions bruncheon held in Miami last December. This year he hopes to double it.
His Team Race Club is the best thing that has happened to swimming in a long time. The funding his foundation provides for elite swimmers from all over the world to come to Islamorada, Florida can't even be matched. Now he has created camps to allow swimmers from all levels take part on this TEAM, in which part of that money will go straight back to paying for more elite swimmers to have the opportunity to keep swimming.
I say Gary is an inspiration and probably the best thing that's ever happened for the promotion of swimming.
