Golden Goggles

As many of you already know I was in New York City this past weekend for the Golden Goggle awards that were hosted last night November 17, 2008. I arrived in the city Saturday and had a wonderful night with my sister, Hillary, and her friends. We all went out to a bar on the lower east side called the Back Room. During the Prohibition Era it was a real Speakeasy and much of the decor and theme remains today.

Sunday my Mom and Dad arrived in the city. It was really wonderful to have the entire family together. As I get older I realize more and more how special it is to all be in the same place at the same time. When I was young I took it for granted and just thought that is always how it would be. My sister Hillary lives in NYC, my parents live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and I live in Texas. I really cherish the time we spend as a family. No matter what, family will always be there, and there is nothing better in the world than sharing time with them! On Sunday night we went to Mario Batali’s restaurant called Babbo. I will have a more extensive post about Babbo in a couple days. The restaurant was a great place to go and spend the night. Some of the food was simply outstanding:)

The highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly the Golden Goggle awards. Everyone wore tuxedos and formal dresses. It was a very well done event. At 5pm all the athletes went to a VIP reception with the big donors of the USA Swimming Foundation. I really enjoyed meeting everyone. The beautiful thing about this event was that it brought people together that come from all walks of life, that were all unbelievably excited about the swimming in Beijing. As an athlete it is continually inspiring and invigorating to hear and see how excited people are/were about the Olympics.
I always tell everyone that the crazy thing about being in Beijing was that we had absolutely no idea of the impact we were making on the US. For two weeks we were living in a bubble. When I finally got back to the US I realized how excited people were/are. It makes me so proud to have represented the USA and to give so many people something to enjoy and get excited about.

When our 400 Free Relay was chosen as the best relay performance, the four of us marched up to the stage and all gave little speeches. I was the first to go. I was thinking later that night about something I wish I had said. I will tell ya’ll so you know because it holds true for many of you too…

A dear friend told me last week that the US athlete’s pursuit for Gold in Beijing represented the Hopes and Dreams of America. When he told me this I almost lost my breath and felt the most unbelievable sense of pride and dedication to America. What I think people really need to know is that all the Americans who have been there to support us and make our dream of going to the Olympics and competing possible, are really the ones deserving of the praise. I was able to go to the Olympics and do what I love to do best, compete. However, without the help of my family, friends, coaches, teachers, USA Swimming staff members etc. fulfilling my dream would never have been possible. The Golden Goggle I won is really a testament to all the support I have been given. My support staff is who really deserves this award!
In addition to the thrill and honor of the award, I met some really notable people as well. I got a chance to meet former NY Giants running back Tiki Barber. World famous magician David Blaine did some unbelievable card tricks with me and Dara.
I met and talked with Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. It was super interesting and unique to meet someone of such high stature. He is a man who really influences the laws that govern this nation. However, I have to say I met someone who, for me, literally Trumped Justice Alito…it was ‘The Big D’ aka ‘The Donald’ aka Donald Trump. I have read all of his books and have admired him as being an unbelievable businessman for many years. He presented the final award which was the male athlete of the year award. After he presented the award the festivities were over. I made my way over to the area I knew he would be coming out of. I got my picture with him and actually talked to him for about five to seven minutes. I was really surprised by how friendly and interested he was. He was asking me all about my experience in Beijing, and congratulating me on my award and my successes, it was great! He introduced me to his wife Melania. Wow she is even more gorgeous in person than she is in pictures.
This was definitely a night to remember:)