Adrian took up swimming after his siblings and friends started lessons. He enjoys the sport because there is always room for improvement. "There is no better feeling than to go a best time," he says. His parents were adamant that he and his siblings took a water safety course as kids to learn to swim.

Training Regime

Adrian trains from Monday through Saturday, with a weightlifting session once a week and a recovery session day to end the week. His favourite training drill is the single-arm freestyle. "You can work on pretty much every aspect of your stroke in this way," he explains.

Injuries and Health Challenges

In 2019, Adrian was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent two operations. He returned to competition in May that year. He also suffered from shoulder and core pain in 2020 and was troubled by a shoulder injury in early 2015.

Recovery and Return

Following his cancer surgery, Adrian had to retrain several skills in the pool. "In some ways, I'm kind of relearning how to swim," he said. He had to be more cognisant about each movement to regain his coordination and muscle firing patterns.

Awards and Honours

Adrian's achievements include receiving the Golden Goggles Award from the USA Swimming Foundation in 2016 and being inducted into the Robert Chinn Foundation Asian Hall of Fame in 2014. A street in Bremerton was renamed Nathan Adrian Drive in recognition of his success at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Family and Personal Life

Adrian resides in Berkeley, CA, USA, with his wife Hallie and daughter Parker, born in 2021. His older brother Justin competed in swimming for the University of Washington, while his older sister Donella swam for Arizona State University. Hallie competed in diving at collegiate level for Stanford University.

Other Activities

In 2019, Adrian and fellow swimmer Will Copeland purchased the AC Swim Club in San Rafael, CA. "Staying in the world of swimming was something that I knew I wanted to do," he said about this venture.

Sporting Philosophy

Adrian believes in the idea of 'stronger together'. "In swimming, there is that interesting paradigm of it being thought of as this individual sport," he says. Having teammates helps get through tough training days.

Future Plans

Looking ahead, Adrian plans to continue contributing to the sport through coaching and business ventures related to swimming. His dedication to swimming remains unwavering as he aims to inspire future generations of swimmers.

Nathan Adrian's journey is a testament to resilience and passion for swimming. From overcoming health challenges to achieving numerous accolades, he continues to make significant contributions both inside and outside the pool.