SA Swimmer Josh Davis Focuses on 2008 Olympics
By Kelly A. Goff
It seems that so many of the Olympic hopefuls you hear about these days are the teens and twenty-somethings that alternate grueling workouts and international competitions with wild nights out. With youth and deep-pocket sponsors on their side, they can focus on their sport to all exclusion as they set their sights on the medal stand.
At 33 years old, Olympic swimmer and San Antonio native Josh Davis doesn’t fit that mold. The father of five children, a motivational speaker and master swimming clinician, hasn’t competed in the Olympics since 2000. A triple gold medalist in the 1996 Olympics and a two-time silver medalist in the 2000 games, one might think Davis has closed that chapter of his life. After all, he and his wife run the largest and most successful swim clinic business in the nation, he continues to champion literacy and academic achievement through his Olympic reading awards program and he’s an active father of five young children. It’s a full life by any measure, but Davis’ competitive spirit refuses to be put to bed. He’s diving back into international competition with a bid for the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Why another quest for gold?
“I can do this!” said the little voice in the back of his head – the one that has whispered quiet words of courage and motivation throughout his life. The little voice went from a whisper to a roar ever since he didn’t make the 2004 Olympic team. “I didn’t train as well as I hoped for Athens and missed making the team by a few tenths of second,” said Davis. “I only spent about five months training because I was working hard on building a literacy awards program in San Antonio.” He spoke to nearly 10,000 school children that year and is proud of his efforts to encourage San Antonio’s youth to read more. He has no regrets about trading swim practice for helping kids. “It’s so rewarding being out in the community, and it was important to me to develop as a speaker and business person,” reflects Davis. “But now I’m at a place in my life where things are getting a little easier – the kids are sleeping through the night, my wife isn’t pregnant, I’m able to pick and choose my speaking engagements – it just seems like a good time to do this.”
And do it he will. He’s so serious about going to Beijing that he and his family are moving to the mountains high above Mexico City this summer so he can train at a high altitude at a specialized training facility. For the next two years he’ll train four to six hours a day, working the circuit of swimming, weights and rest to attain a competitive edge that will be realized on a cellular level.
“If you’re trying to win medals, you become a bit of a robot,” he says of Olympic training. “You don’t have to be completely one dimensional, but it is a full-time job where it’s all about you. You have to train right, sleep right, eat right. It’s a very selfish lifestyle, and I’m fortunate that my wife is willing to help and support me. I couldn’t have won those other medals without her. We’re a team.”
Continual coach
Although being an elite athlete may necessitate a self-focused regimen, Josh Davis is anything but selfish. He credits the world-class coaches he’s had throughout the years for his ability to continuously focus and achieve. It’s one of the reasons he coaches and speaks professionally. Helping others be the best they can be, whether it’s athletically, academically or spiritually, is an essential ingredient in Davis’ character. In fact he’s turning his coaching philosophies and advice into a book that’s something akin to “Seven Gold Medal Habits” for athletes looking to achieve balance before burnout.
“There are essential facets of each person that need attention,” says Davis. “From finesse to fitness, flexibility and fueling to focus, family and fun, it’s all about balance.” The wisdom he’s acquired over the years isn’t just applicable to Olympians. For instance, families are so busy these days that often, personal fitness goes to the bottom of the priority list. “My wife and I talk about this all the time because she was a competitive volleyball player in college and is also accustomed to working out four hours a day,” shares Davis. “We’ve struggled with this all or nothing attitude and finally realized that, even if we can only squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise into a day, it’s better than nothing at all.”
Swimmer’s Secrets
What other bits of fitness wisdom can our local Olympian share? Davis leans in and whispers, “Don’t tell my young competitors this, but my cross-training secret is lifting my one-year-old while vacuuming,” he laughs. Of course he highly recommends swimming as the perfect total body workout, for it’s easy on the joints and works your muscles and cardiovascular system. He’s a devotee of Susan Ingraham’s masters classes. (Visit the Alamo Area Aquatic Association for class times and locations at www.aaaa-sa.org/Masters.htm). “Joining a masters team is a great way to become a better swimmer and get a good workout,” he advises.
Davis is also a big fan of the Olympic lift for strength training. “Get a personal trainer to teach you the proper technique: that’s essential to getting any benefit from this move and avoiding injury,” he cautions. “I love it because I can build so much strength in half the time it would take me to attain on machines. It works a lot of different muscle groups simultaneously – very efficient for those without much time to workout.” Davis also has a love/hate relationship with pull-ups and dips. “They hurt the most, but I like the satisfying feeling that comes afterward. I really feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
And in a day when world records seem to be set with the help of performance-enhancing drugs, it’s good to know our hometown hero will be fueled by nothing more controversial than a foot-long Subway turkey sandwich.
