Olympian and his NCAA champion fiancee hold clinic at Five Points

Smile.

More than 100 young swimmers from across the Midwest learned Sunday that?s the best and simplest way to get rid of nerves before a big race.

Olympic gold medal-winner Matt Grevers and NCAA champion Annie Chandler offered that word of advice during a sold-out Mutual of Omaha Breakout! Swim Clinic at Five Points Washington.

?You ever get the shakes on the block?? Chandler asked. ?Smile. Once you flex your cheeks, all your other muscles will relax. And the other swimmers will wonder what you?re up to.?

Grevers, 27, and Chandler, 25, who are engaged, talked to the swimmers, parents and coaches for more than an hour in the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center then led a clinic for nearly three hours in the pool across the hall. An evening banquet attended by about 250 concluded their day at Five Points.

Toward the end of his talk, Grevers reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold medal he won in the 100-meter backstroke this summer at the London Olympics.

The crowd cheered. But life in the pool hasn?t always been rosy for Grevers and Chandler. They told the swimmers it?s important to respond to adversity with hard work and a better mental approach.

?The great thing about swimming is you get out of it what you put into it,? said Grevers, a Lake Forest native who swam for Northwestern University.

Grevers failed twice to make the U.S. Olympic team before he finally earned berths in 2008 and 2012.

Chandler experienced similar frustration when she swam for the University of Arizona. She finished second, third and fourth at the NCAA championships in her premier event ? the 100 breaststroke ? before winning as a senior.

Grevers won gold medals in the 100 backstroke and 4x100 medley relay in London. His time of :52.16 in the backstroke broke the Olympic record. He also won a silver medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

He won gold medals in the 4x100 medley and 4x100 freestyle relays in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 along with a silver medal in the 100 backstroke.

Grevers proposed to Chandler in February after receiving a first-place medal from her after a race at the Missouri Grand Prix meet. His proposal and her acceptance were a viral hit on YouTube.

That?s not exactly how Grevers planned the big moment.

He said he was supposed to present a medal and ring to Chandler after a race, but Chandler finished fifth and didn?t make it to the medal stand.

So Grevers, along with meet officials who were in on the plan, changed gears.

They?ll be married in April 2013 in Chandler?s hometown of San Antonio, Texas. They live and train in Tucson, Ariz.

Five Points aquatics director Jane Austin said she was thrilled to have Grever and Chandler come to the multipurpose facility as part of its five-year anniversary celebration.

She was just as excited for the youths who attended the clinic and banquet.

?You?re all by yourself most times when you swim, and the scenery never changes,? she said. ?That?s why dedication is so important. Matt and Annie are examples of what can be accomplished with dedication.?

Steve Stein can be reached at 686-3114 or stevestein21@yahoo.com. Read his Stein Time blog at pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpartanSteve.
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Source: http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1440173888/Olympian-and-his-NCAA-champion-fiancee-hold-clinic-at-Five-Points

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