Author, rock guitarist, t-shirt entrepreneur, Zen Buddhist: Anthony Ervin is so much more than a two-time Olympic medalist. With full-sleeve tattoos and an English degree, he’s pushed beyond ‘bad boy’ and jock stereotypes to forge his own path – and this week, it’s leading the 35-year-old to Rio.
Getting Started
Ervin was born in May 1981 in Valenica, California. His mixed heritage includes African American and Native American (his father’s side) as well as European Jewish roots (his mother’s).
As a child, he was considered something of a troublemaker. To help him expend his excess energy, his parents enrolled him in swimming. In the Canyons Aquatic Club in Santa Clarita, he scored his first swimming successes while on tranquilizers prescribed for Tourette syndrome.
#tbt the hellion days ...forever
College Days
Ervin started at UC Berkeley in 1999. Just one year later, he qualified for Team USA.
At the Sydney Olympics, Ervin finished the 50-meter freestyle final in 21.98 seconds, earning the gold medal! (After the devastating 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, he auctioned that medal on eBay to benefit the survivors.) As part of the 4x100-meter freestyle, he also took home the silver.
Ervin continued to surf his successful wave of wins all the way to the 2001 World Championships, where he took the gold for the 50 and 100 free in Fukuoka, Japan. The next year in Yokohama, Japan, he took two silvers – in the 50 free and the 400 relay.
By the time he was finished swimming in college, he was a 27-time NCAA All-American and the three-time national champion in the 400 and 100-meter freestyle relays.
On the eve of US Nationals! #RacingSeason #BodyReady. Thank you @Gillette!
Retiring in His Prime
After Yokohama, Ervin decided to retire. He was experiencing depression, tried self-medicating, and played guitar in a number of rock bands. He then turned his life around, discovering Zen Buddhism and finally completing his BA in English.
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