I got home yesterday @ 12:30pm and drove straight home to jump in the shower and rush downtown to film a commericial supporting all our USA Olympic Athletes.  This commericial will air across the state of Texas leading into the Olympic Games.  Go USA!  Support our athletes!

Now, [Tuesday]I’m in an airport trying to get to California.  I’m hosting a clinic today with 75 swimmers at Viewpoint School.  This last year, I have developed a friendship with the Stern family and I’ve been out to see their son Jared a couple of times.  I’ve actually invited Jared to join me this year at Men’s NCAA’s and then the Olympic Training Center in CO.  There’s really nothing that can compare to being exposed to greatness.  Jared was able to watch and meet some of the greatest swimmers on the planet including Michael!  I hope that this has awakened the greatness within him.   I think every young person needs a life mentor.  Someone who is just a few steps ahead of them and can guide them down their journey.  I don’t think we ever out grow the need for wisdom!  I look forward to meeting the swimmers at View Point and hope that I can walk away learning something from you!

I’ll be back to write more because we have a BIG weekend ahead of us! Neil Walker, Kim Vandenberg, Kate Ziegler and Jenny Thompson will all be out helping host Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Clinics this weekend. 

I woke up the next morning, after a great evening in Tulsa, at 4:30am.  I had to catch a 6:00am flight to make my clinic in IL.  Remember my tips on hidden training.  Well, sleep is one of the best things you can do to help prepare your body to swim fast.  Well, I can’t always get all the tips checked off but I don’t mind leaving one unchecked if I can hang with great swim teams like the one in IL.

Coach Allyson and Will have done an amazing job bringing two teams together to make one great team–HEAT. I’m finally happy to get to you guys since we’ve been trying since last fall.  Congratulations to Sarah and Brian for taking home the stramline award.  After the clinic, we rushed to the swim team banquet.  This was a special banquet because it was the “first” for these two teams to come together under one name.  I love being apart of something pretty special like this.  I was humbled to see people drive 4hrs. to get to our clinic and then overwhelmed with all the wonderful feedback and comments from the parents. 

Thanks for letting me know that you want me to come back and bring my friends!  I wouldn’t miss it. A special thanks to the Reeve family for your wonderful hospitality.

After a great clinic in Louisiana, I drove through the night to Houston to catch my plane the next morning for Tulsa.  I was so tired I had to pull over and take a nap at a rest stop around 11:00pm.  Don’t ever drive when you’re tired!!  I woke up an hour later and drove to my hotel in Houston.  I got up that morning to catch my flight to Tulsa where Lynne Gorman and Coach David welcomed and introduced me to 95 excited swimmers!

We had a great time together and I decided to time my 100 free warm-up.  I pushed off the wall and felt pretty good.  I was swimming along thinking…this actually feels nice.  When I got to the wall and looked up, I was expecting to hear :49 and Coach Courtney said,”:54″.

I had to admit.  My first reaction was to ask someone to take the stop watch away from Coach Courtney because she obviously didn’t know how to use it! Yet before I said anything, she could tell by my facial expression that I was perplexed and said, “meters, Josh.”  I thought I was swimming yards!

Needless to say, that made me feel much better!  Not bad for not training…maybe I should train again! I’m still young!  Check-out Dara Torres.

Remember, my main objective in staying in shape is to race one of my favorite NBA players Tim Duncan.  [Second, public challange]

Cathy and Reed you keep up that great streamline and maybe you’ll be setting your own records soon.  There’s nothing I like better than a great swim clinic except for a great Italian meal to follow.  Thanks to my host family, the Holloway’s, the coaches and I had a great evening sharing stories and filling our stomaches.  We laughed and developed some great friendships that I look forward to having for a long time.

Also, just to let you Oklahoma swimmers know…there’s rumor that they’re hosting another event in September!!  I can’t wait to bring some Olympic friends next time!!

So a big congratulations out to Pamela and Tyler for winning the streamline award.  It was also great to see Coach PJ again.  I first met PJ back in 1994 at The University of Texas swim camp.  I was just finishing up my last year and he was helping out with the camp.  Thanks for the fun introduction and friendship!

Also, something pretty cool happened in the middle of this clinic!  Mayor Ron LeLeux came up and said, On behalf of the Sulfur community, I would like to present you and the Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Swim Clinic program a key to our city.  We thank you for what you and the BREAKout! program does for our community by bringing in Olympians and positive messages.  How cool is that!  I hope that means we get to come back!

I hope you all swim well in the meet this weekend.  Keep streamlining! 

I just flew back from CA where I was privileged to honor Coach Perry @ his funeral.   I can’t tell you how humbled I am to see how the bond in our swim family is so strong.  It transcends local pool decks to expand to places all over the globe.   I’ve watch this family pull together to support each other in times of tragedy, triumph and challenge.  I am so proud to be apart of this community; moreover, I’m proud that companies like Mutual of Omaha have expanded our family. 

I returned home yesterday and joined a few Spurs basketball players to serve as a waiter @ a celebrity banquet to support a local non-profit group.  Many of you might know these guys…Sean Elliot and Brent Barry.  Not only am I proud to be apart of the swim community…I love being a San Antonian!  Go Spurs!  I’m still waiting to race Tim Duncan in the 50m free.  Many of you don’t know this, but the famous Tim Duncan basketball player was a champion swimmer as a teenager in the Virgin Islands.  I’m not sure how I would do if he challenged me to a game of 1-on-1–but I know, I could take him down in the pool.  Let this be an official public challenge!!  Tim Duncan…I’m ready to race! 

Okay, so my first stop this weekend is Sulfur, LA.   I will be meeting up with coach PJ and his Swim Louisiana team.  I’m very excited.  A few years ago, my parents moved to Louisiana.  My father is a chief fundraiser for Christus Cabrini Hospital so I’ve made a few trips to this lively state.  This clinic is combined with a swim meet and spaghetti dinner.  I’m very excited about spending time with you guys!  Also, it should be fun to see who wins the  50 freestyle Shoot-Out.

After my evening in Sulfur, I have to jump in a car and drive 2 1/2 hours to Houston.  I should get in about midnight and I’ll catch my flight to Tulsa early the next morning.  I’m so pumped about Tulsa.  The host for this event is Lynne with Swim Tulsa. She is such an amazing advocate for the sport of swimming.  She’s done amazing job within her community and even pulled off organizing this event in less than 3wks.   A little swimming trivia about the state of Oklahoma.  It is the only state that doesn’t have 1 college swim team!

Last year, I traveled to Oklahoma to visit Caitlin Baker to host a Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Swim Clinic with the Native American communities and also joined efforts with the Pisces Project to get a pool built in Norman, OK.   I personally would like to see Oklahoma become a swimming power-house!  Why?  Because every year The University of Texas football team battles against The Oklahoma Sooners during the Thanksgiving holiday.  Many times we, Longhorns, have walked away defeated. 

I think it’s about time to wound the Oklahoma pride by taking on Texas swimming.  Admittedly, I would love to have this ammunication at my wife’s family gatherings! 

Shantel’s sister, Danielle, played volleyball for OU and her husband Casey, and his brothers, Kyle & Kevin, were the OU Bookout standouts in track, baseball and basketball.  So family gatherings can be pretty eventful on OU vs. Texas weekends.  So let’s see if  The University of Oklahoma steps up to the plate to give swimmers across the US a chance to wear crimson red.  I think  with people like Lynne who are committed to seeing the sport of swimming take roots in their red soil…it might just happen!

 I won’t have much time in Oklahoma before I’m off to Champaign, IL to spend time with the AquaChiefs. It’s only fitting that I’m going to Champaign, IL right now.  In 1985, this was the first location to host the Farm Aid concert.  One of my favorite singers, Willie Nelson, helped launch this event to benefit farmers & their families in the US.  He wrote my theme song, “On the Road Again!”  So maybe I’ll sing you a few lines!  “On, the road again…I just can’t wait to get on the road again…” 

Aquachiefs, I’m on the road again making my way to you.  I’ll let you guys know how my journey again to 3 cities turns out and who my streamline award winners will be!