As he put medals around the necks of Bangor-area youngsters who competed in a triathlon last weekend, Ian Crocker seemed relaxed and content.
He shook the hands of the young triathletes and posed for pictures with them.
The Portland native and five-time Olympic swimming medalist has turned the page on his career at the tender age of 27. He retired following the Beijing Olympics last year.
But not before capturing the affection of his home state by earning medals during three different Summer Olympics: pocketing a gold medal in the 4×100 medley relay in Sydney in 2000 and in the same event in Athens in 2004, as well as taking home silver in the 100-meter butterfly and capturing a gold medal in the 4×100 medley relay and a bronze in the 4×100 freestyle relay in Beijing in 2008.
He also won a total of eight gold medals and five silver medals at the World Championships in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
He is still involved in swimming but in a different way.
Crocker and former University of Texas teammates Neil Walker and James Fike have started swimming schools in Austin and Dallas, Texas.
“Things are going great. I’d like to eventually get something going up here in Maine as well,” said Crocker in the University of Maine’s field house. “The school runs the full gamut. We get kids and adults water safe. We teach them how to swim. We also work with pre-competitive swimmers who want to join a team but need instruction and stroke technique in order to join one and we also work with kids who are already on teams to get their technique up to the highest level possible.
“It’s for all ages and all abilities,” added Crocker, who became the first man to ever swim under 51 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly and owned the world record (50.40) in that event until Michael Phelps eclipsed it earlier this year.
Crocker is enjoying his retirement.
“It’s nice to have a little more energy and more time in my day to be able to get things done,” said Crocker. “I needed to wait until I retired from competing to start a business. It’s really nice, I feel like I’ve opened a new chapter in my life. I’m still involved in the sport but in a different capacity. I feel like I’ve gotten back to the innocent side of swimming.”
So there’s no chance of a change of heart and an appearance in the 2012 Summer Games in London?
“I really enjoy being away from the contracts, the agents and all that side of everything. I’m happy being back on the innocent side of the sport,” said Crocker.
One of his most cherished moments in his career was his first Olympics in 2000.
“That was important because the whole time I was growing up, swimming people told me if I was going to make it to the Olympic level, I’d have to leave the state of Maine,” said Crocker. “So it really made me proud to be able to go to my first Olympics with all of my training having been in Maine.
“That’s an important thing to share with the swimming community and all the athletes and artistic people with talent. Maine is a great place to be able to achieve [your aspirations]. We’ve got all the resources necessary to achieve to the highest level in any arena,” he said.
He credited his “hard-working family” with instilling the work ethic he needed to become an Olympian.
He said he is “thrilled” to be on the “other side of swimming.
“It’s great being able to give back and meet the next generation of athletes and try to inspire them,” said Crocker.
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