>>> WELCOME BACK.
AS WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE 100
DAYS TO THE START OF THE OLYMPIC
GAMES IN TOKYO.
>> LET’S GO.
I’M EXCITED.
PUMPED UP.
EXCITEMENT CLEARLY BUILDING EVEN
AS CONCERN SURROUNDING THE
CORONAVIRUS REMAIN.
OUR NEXT GUEST HAS UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE.
THAT’S FOR SURE.
>> U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER NATHAN
ADRIAN SET HIS SIGHTS ON
COMPETING FOR HIS FOURTH
OLYMPICS.
>> WOW.
>> NATHAN, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
LET’S DO YOUR OLYMPIC RESUME.
YOU’VE BEEN IN THREE OLYMPIC
GAMES.
WON EIGHT MEDALS, FIVE OF THEM
GOLD.
YOU’VE HAD TO WAIT A YEAR FOR
TOKYO.
WHAT IS KEEPING YOUR MOTIVATION?
WHAT ARE YOU AFTER THIS TIME?
>> I MEAN, WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH
TO COMPETE THIS LAST WEEKEND,
AND THAT JUST STOKED MY FIRE SO
MUCH.
I THINK THAT’S WHAT WE ALL LIVE
TO DO.
OBVIOUSLY, WITH COVID, IT WAS A
LITTLE BIT TOUGH, YOU KNOW,
ACROSS THE DIFFERENT SPORTS.
MAN, WHEN YOU JUST GET TO JUMP
IN THAT POOL, RACE EVERYBODY,
IT’S A LOT OF FUN.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU’VE BEEN
THROUGH -- YOU’VE HAD QUITE A
JOURNEY.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, YOU BATTLED
CANCER.
HERE YOU SIT.
I’M LOOKING AT YOU AND THINKING,
HOW IS HE FEELING?
HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU’LL BE ABLE
TO COMPETE THIS OLYMPICS?
>> I FEEL GOOD.
I MEAN, THE EXTRA YEAR HELPED
KIND OF SMOOTH OUT SOME KINKS
THAT WE -- THAT POPPED UP FROM
THE SURGERIES THAT WE HAD TO
DEAL WITH CANCER.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO TRIALS,
FOR SURE.
>> NATHAN, YOU WERE AMONG THE
ATHLETES AT THE START OF THE
PANDEMIC LAST YEAR THAT URGED
OFFICIALS TO POSTPONE IT.
WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE THEN, AND ARE
YOU HOPEFUL, AS FAR AS SAFETY IS
CONCERNED THIS TIME AROUND?
>> YEAH.
SO, I MEAN, I JUST REALLY FELT
STRONGLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE
OLYMPICS IS -- THE INTEGRITY OF
THE OLYMPICS IS SO INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT.
IF WE WERE TO HOLD THE OLYMPICS
LAST SUMMER, AS THEY WERE
SCHEDULED, IT WOULD HAVE ALMOST
BECOME A FARCE, JUST BECAUSE THE
WINNERS WOULD HAVE BEEN THOSE
WHO FOUND PLACES TO TRAIN AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAIN.
SO MANY STORIES WOULD BE LOST
BECAUSE OF THAT.
SORRY, I FORGOT YOUR OTHER
QUESTION.
>> I’M SURE YOU’RE HOPEFUL THIS
TIME AROUND, SAFETY, ALL OF
THAT, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
>> YEAH.
SO I ACTUALLY AM VERY HOPEFUL.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE LAST YEAR
HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING
EXPERIMENT FOR EVERYBODY TO
DEVELOP DIFFERENT COVID
STRATEGIES.
I’M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN
DEVELOP SOME THAT KEEP ALL THE
ATHLETES SAFE OVER IN TOKYO AND
IN THEIR TRAINING CAMPS BEFORE
THEN.
>> NATHAN, IT IS CARSON.
GOOD TO TALK TO YOU.
SORRY, UNCLE AL.
I’LL JUMP IN WITH A QUESTION.
PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM USA.
NOW, ANOTHER IMPORTANT TEAM,
TEAM GIRL DAD.
I HAVE THREE.
YOU AND YOUR WIFE, HAILEY, GAVE
BIRTH TO BEAUTIFUL BABY PARKER
IN FEBRUARY.
HOW IS DAD LIFE?
>> DAD LIFE IS THE BEST.
IT REALLY IS.
IT’S -- USUALLY, SWIMMING WAS
THE MOST EXCITING, CRAZY PART OF
MY DAY, AND NOW IT’S A TOUGH
COMPETITION WITH, YOU KNOW, JUST
WALKING IN THE DOOR AND SAYING,
HONEY, WHERE ARE YOU?
I WANT TO HOLD PARKER.
>> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> NATHAN, YOU TALK ABOUT
TRAINING.
HOW TOUGH WAS IT FINDING SPACE
TO TRAIN?
I UNDERSTAND YOU AND A BUDDY
ACTUALLY BOUGHT A COMMUNITY POOL
JUST SO YOU COULD TRAIN?
>> SO THAT WASN’T JUST SO WE
COULD TRAIN.
IT IS KIND OF A LONG-TERM THING
HERE.
I LOVE SWIMMING.
I LOVE TEACHING KIDS HOW TO SWIM AND KIND OF SPREADING THAT AS
AND KIND OF SPREADING THAT AS
MORE OF A SAFETY --
THE POOL WAS SHUT DOWN FOR COVID
RESTRICTIONS, THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE TO HOP IN WHATEVER
WATER YOU CAN FIND.
>> NATHAN, WE WERE JUST HEARING
THAT, LIKE, PARENTS, FRIENDS,
AND FAMILY CAN’T GO TO THE
OLYMPICS WITH YOU GUYS.
JUST WANTED THE KNOW WHAT YOU
WERE FEELING WHEN YOU HEARD THAT
NEWS.
>> I MEAN, IT’S CERTAINLY SAD.
I MEAN, THE OLYMPICS IS SO -- TO
KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A
PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENS FROM OUR
SIDE, WE ARE IN A PRETTY TIGHT
BUBBLE IN USA SWIMMING.
IT’S SO FUN TO KIND OF TALK
ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES
AFTERWARDS, HOW YOU EXPERIENCED
WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, GOLD MEDAL
PERFORMANCE, AND COMPARE IT TO
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE
AUDIENCE WITH YOUR FAMILY, WITH
YOUR FRIENDS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT’S NOT GOING
TO HAPPEN.
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE
WATCHING IT AT HOME ON TV.
>> FACETIME.
THEY’LL BE THERE ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER.
>> YEAH.
>> THEY CERTAINLY WILL.
>> WE’RE ROOT FOR YOU, NATHAN.