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| Published in The Auburn Plainsman on June 28, 2006 |
Auburn’s
athletic history is rich in talented student athletes. Some stick out in
history more than others for their success after college. A select few were
given the chance to impress the entire world with their immense skill and
passion for their sport.
Rowdy
Gaines became a swimming legend after winning three gold medals in the 1984
Summer Olympics. If not for the boycott of the 1980 Olympics, he may have won
several more. He was a five-time NCAA individual champion before that, and held
eleven world records when he graduated in 1981. He is now a member of the International
Swimming, U.S. Olympic, Alabama and Florida
Halls of Fame.
Ambrose
“Rowdy” Gaines IV was born Feb. 17, 1959 in Winter Haven, Fla.
Not having a middle name, his father gave him the nickname after the Clint
Eastwood character Rowdy Yates in the old western TV show, “Raw Hide.”
“My father
thought it was good nickname and it’s stuck for all these years,” Gaines said.
He didn’t
start swimming seriously until his junior year of high school. He tried out for
four different sports, being cut from each team. It was then that he decided to
try swimming, and the rest they say is history.
“The day I
tried out for the high school swim team was when I fell in love and had an
undying passion for it,” he said. “I never thought I’d be going to the
Olympics, but I certainly knew this was the sport I was going to have the most
success in.”
The
coaching staff took notice after just one season, but it wasn’t long after his
freshman year at Auburn that Coach Eddie Reese left
for the University
of Texas. Richard Quick
was hired soon afterward.
“When
Richard was first hired, we gave him the nickname of the Smiling Cobra. He would
come in for practice everyday with a huge smile on his face. He was always in
great mood and so personable. You just couldn’t help but fall in love with him
instantly,” he said. “I’ll tell you though, he kicked some butt in the water.
He never let up during the course of a practice. He’d come in with all smiles,
and then he’d kill us.
Despite
everything Gaines has accomplished, some of his fondest memories are from the
time he spent at Auburn.
The team became a family away from home. His teammates were like his brothers
and sisters.
“Those
memories mean more to me than breaking records and winning gold medals,” he
said. “I say that with all sincerity, because I couldn’t tell you what my best
time was. I barely remember what events I’ve won, but I certainly remember all
my teammates and the bonds we shared.”
Even before
Gaines graduated, he was considered the favorite to beat any competition the rest
of the world had to offer. The Cold War prevented his participation in Moscow however. What
could’ve been depressing and disheartening news didn’t bother Gaines much at
all. It wasn’t until 1984 that he knew what he had missed out on four years
earlier.
He took advantage
of his first opportunity by winning three gold medals, and solidifying himself
as one of the top Olympic performers of all time.
“Swimming
doesn’t have a Super Bowl or World Series,” he said. “The pinnacle of success is
the Olympics. That’s our Super Bowl, and it only happens once every four years.
The secret of my success was pure and simple, I was super motivated to succeed
and represent my country well.”
It wasn’t
long after this that he got his first chance to talk about the sport he loves
on television in 1986. He is now considered “The Voice of Swimming,” for
covering almost every major swimming event since then. He will lend his voice
to his fifth Olympics next summer.
“I’ve
always been good at flapping my mouth,” he said. “It’s something I may not be
the best at, but no one has more passion for swimming than I do. I think that’s
why I’ve been so successful at it, and why I keep coming back.”
Like almost
every life story, there is always a low point that comes unexpectantly. For
Gaines it came in August 1991, where he was temporarily paralyzed with Guillain-Barre
Syndrome. An auto-immune virus that affects the peripheral nervous system that
kept him hospitalized for two months. His full recovery was attributed mostly
to how healthy he was, but a six-month rehabilitation was required to return to
normalcy.
“I had to
relearn how to do everything. You have to start out like a baby,” he said. “The
first day I got out of the hospital, I told my wife to take me to a pool. Being
in the water was like being reborn. The water was so soothing, and I felt like
I was back where I am the most comfortable. I knew that part of my rehab would
have to be in the water. I think it accelerated my recovery.”
Ever since
then, Gaines has been a busy man. He proved he could still swim competitively
by winning the 100 meter freestyle and 4x100 meter freestyle medley relay one
year later in the World Masters Championship. He also became the oldest swimmer
to qualify for the 1996 Olympic trials in Atlanta.
He was the
Outreach Director for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham for six years before accepting a
job from USA Swimming. He is now the Chief Fundraising and Alumni Officer.
As if that
isn’t enough, he is on the road frequently to set up clinics for swim teams,
including one he has in Auburn
the last 10 years.
“It’s a way
for me to give back to the sport that has touched my life like no other,” he
said. “Teaching is very rewarding.”
He also is
also motivational speaker who gets 10-15 invitations a year.
He
currently resides in Colorado Springs, Col. with his wife Judy and four daughters:
Emily, Madison,
Savanna and Isabella. None of which are too interested in swimming.
“I’m on the
road two or three weeks a month,” he said. “Traveling takes its toll sometimes
because I’m fairly obsessed with my family. Some people ask what I do outside
of work, and there’s nothing else I can do but be with my family. All the
traveling can be hard, but I try to take them with me sometimes.”
The story
of Rowdy Gaines should be an inspiration to anyone no matter what their dreams
are. He didn’t start swimming until he was 17 years old. He still achieved the
highest level of success.
“As cliché
as this may sound, it’s never too late to achieve your dreams,” he said. “We
all have dreams, and I’m living proof that you should never give up. I tried
multiple sports in high school and got cut from all of them. I never gave up
though.”
