Rowdy Gaines
Encyclopedia
Ambrose Gaines IV (born February 17, 1959 in Winter Haven
, Florida
) is a former American
swimmer, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, Olympic
three-time gold medalist, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
. He is currently the chief fundraiser for USA Swimming
as well as a swimming analyst for television networks ESPN
and NBC
including coverage of the Beijing
2008 Summer Olympics
, his fourth as a TV commentator.
, Rowdy unsuccessfully tried other sports during his teen-age years but turned to swimming as a Winter Haven High School
junior where he improved quickly and was offered a swimming scholarship to Auburn University
. At Auburn he became a five-time NCAA
champion under the training of former Stanford University
and Auburn head swimming coach Richard Quick
. During one four-year period, Gaines held eleven World Records and, had the United States
not boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics
in Moscow
, he would have been a favorite to win multiple medals at the event. After graduating from Auburn in 1981, he stopped swimming for several months, thinking he had missed his opportunity to be an Olympic medalist, but was urged to resume swimming by his father. When Gaines qualified at the 1984 Olympic trials, his times were not particularly impressive and he was not expected to place at the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles, California
. He won the 100 meter freestyle off a very good start and swam the anchor leg for both the US gold medal-winning 4 × 100-meter freestyle and 4 × 100-meter medley teams.
In August 1991, Gaines was temporarily paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome
. After a two-month hospitalization, he experienced a surprising full recovery attributed largely to his superb physical condition as a competitive swimmer. He eventually regained world-class times and, at the age of 35, became the oldest swimmer to qualify for the trials for the 1996 Summer Olympics
. Ultimately, he chose not to compete in the trials for Atlanta
but rather continue his career as a television commentator, covering swimming for NBC at the Games.
Gaines was Outreach Director for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
in Birmingham, Alabama
from 1997 until 2003 when he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado
to become the Chief Fund-raising and Alumni Officer for USA Swimming. In December 2007, Gaines became a spokesperson for LIMU, The Company, a Direct Sales Company that manufactures LIMU ORIGINAL, BLU FROG, LIMU LEAN, and LIMU ORIGINAL SHOTS.
Gaines still holds Masters long course world records in several freestyle events. At the 2011 Short Course Masters Nationals, Gaines broke his own national record in the 50-54 division 50 yard freestyle (21.36), notable in that he did the swim without the use of a technical suit (now banned). On July 16, 2011, Gaines broke the 50-54 Age Group record in the long course 100m freestyle with a time of 54.6. Gaines currently resides in Lake Mary, Florida
where he is Executive Director of Rowdy's Kidz, a charitable program sponsored by LIMU, The Company. His wife, Judy, and he have four daughters: Emily, Madison, Savanna and Isabelle.
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
swimmer, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
three-time gold medalist, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
. He is currently the chief fundraiser for USA Swimming
USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...
as well as a swimming analyst for television networks ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
including coverage of the Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, his fourth as a TV commentator.
Biography
Born in Winter Haven, FloridaWinter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
, Rowdy unsuccessfully tried other sports during his teen-age years but turned to swimming as a Winter Haven High School
Winter Haven High School
Winter Haven High School PrincipalGina WilliamsSchool typePublic Religious affiliationNoneFounded1890LocationPolk County, Florida, Winter Haven, FloridaEnrollment1761 students , Campus surroundingsUrbanContact...
junior where he improved quickly and was offered a swimming scholarship to Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. At Auburn he became a five-time NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
champion under the training of former Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and Auburn head swimming coach Richard Quick
Richard Quick
Richard Walter Quick was the head coach of the women's swim team at Stanford University, California, U.S. from 1988 through 2005. He has been a coach for the US Olympic team for six Olympics - 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004...
. During one four-year period, Gaines held eleven World Records and, had the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
not boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, he would have been a favorite to win multiple medals at the event. After graduating from Auburn in 1981, he stopped swimming for several months, thinking he had missed his opportunity to be an Olympic medalist, but was urged to resume swimming by his father. When Gaines qualified at the 1984 Olympic trials, his times were not particularly impressive and he was not expected to place at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He won the 100 meter freestyle off a very good start and swam the anchor leg for both the US gold medal-winning 4 × 100-meter freestyle and 4 × 100-meter medley teams.
In August 1991, Gaines was temporarily paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain–Barré syndrome , sometimes called Landry's paralysis, is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , a disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system. Ascending paralysis, weakness beginning in the feet and hands and migrating towards the trunk, is the most typical symptom...
. After a two-month hospitalization, he experienced a surprising full recovery attributed largely to his superb physical condition as a competitive swimmer. He eventually regained world-class times and, at the age of 35, became the oldest swimmer to qualify for the trials for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. Ultimately, he chose not to compete in the trials for Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
but rather continue his career as a television commentator, covering swimming for NBC at the Games.
Gaines was Outreach Director for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
from 1997 until 2003 when he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
to become the Chief Fund-raising and Alumni Officer for USA Swimming. In December 2007, Gaines became a spokesperson for LIMU, The Company, a Direct Sales Company that manufactures LIMU ORIGINAL, BLU FROG, LIMU LEAN, and LIMU ORIGINAL SHOTS.
Gaines still holds Masters long course world records in several freestyle events. At the 2011 Short Course Masters Nationals, Gaines broke his own national record in the 50-54 division 50 yard freestyle (21.36), notable in that he did the swim without the use of a technical suit (now banned). On July 16, 2011, Gaines broke the 50-54 Age Group record in the long course 100m freestyle with a time of 54.6. Gaines currently resides in Lake Mary, Florida
Lake Mary, Florida
Lake Mary is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,456 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,230...
where he is Executive Director of Rowdy's Kidz, a charitable program sponsored by LIMU, The Company. His wife, Judy, and he have four daughters: Emily, Madison, Savanna and Isabelle.
Awards
- International Swimming Hall of Fame
- U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
- Florida Sports Hall of Fame
- 1982 McDonalds Spirit Award
- 2007 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award
See also
- World record progression 50 metres freestyleWorld record progression 50 metres freestyleThe first world record in the men's 50 metres freestyle in long course swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation in 1976...
- World record progression 100 metres freestyleWorld record progression 100 metres freestyleThe first world record in the men's 100 metres freestyle in long course swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation in 1905...
- World record progression 200 metres freestyleWorld record progression 200 metres freestyleThis is a history of the World Record in the 200 Freestyle swimming event. Swimming World Records are recognized by FINA in either long-course or short-course pool courses....
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
External links
- Rowdy Gaines Official Bio
- Rowdy Gaines At The Limu Company
- FINA Men's Long Course Masters Records
- Gaines' Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary essay
- http://www.rowdyskidz.com/news.shtml