I really believe in setting goals, no matter what it is: whether it's losing five pounds or making the world championship team.

Michael wasn't on the pool deck, which was hard for me. None of my old Coral Springs teammates were around. Still, that old plane of cement felt like home. I folded my clothes and put them on the bench. I placed my water bottle under my starting block, and I dove in. Once again, I felt that ultimate state of transition, my feet no longer on the ground, my hands not yet in the water.

I don't think you should let your age stop anything you want to do. Don't put an age limit on your dreams.

You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams.

I'd proven to the world that maturity, experience, dedication, and ingenuity can make up for a little senescence. Muscle tightening is not the only thing that happens to our bodies over time. We gain knowledge, focus, and understanding, and those things can help us win.

I've wanted to win at everything, every day, since I was a kid. And time doesn't change a person, it just helps you get a handle on who you are. Even at age 41, I still hate losing--I'm just more gracious about it. I'm also aware that setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams.

When I revealed the campaign, some lady in the front row, a photographer, asked "is that airbrushed?" So I just lifted my shirt up and my stomach was the exact same thing as in the ads. It was actually kinda nice that she said that, because I'm sure plenty of people probably thought that. That's one of the reasons I did it - especially when you work so hard to get your body to look like that - it's frustrating.