Rowdy Gaines on opening more pools to help water safety – The Social Kick E#61

Hall of Fame swimmer and 3-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines joins the show! We talk about how COVID is affecting student-athletes who have trained their entire lives to play a sport only to now be sidelined and/or lose out on scholarships? We address the financial, professional and mental health repercussions, as well as the long-term effects on sports in general. We also get into the delayed 2020 (now 2021) Olympics and what they might look like next year, with reference to him being unable to compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of the U.S. boycott.

Additionally, Rowdy is head of community engagement for USA Swimming, and talks about the Aquatics Coalition they’ve launched to advocate for pools to remain open during the pandemic, arguing they are safe to use, and a necessary resource for swimming lessons and rehabilitation, particularly in low-income areas.