Life is everchanging, if you cease to change, you cease to live.

I walked away from the sport for 17 years, then started swimming again recently in a master's program.

Swimming isn't everything - winning is.

I just tried to keep my cool and continue with my race plan: to win.

I wasn't able to lower my cholesterol so they put me on a statin drug. It is called lipitor. I was able to lower my level in about 30 days from above 300 to below 200.

If he wins seven golds and ties what I did, then it would be like I was the first man on the moon and he became the second. If he wins more than seven, then he becomes the first man on Mars. We'd both be unique.

The pool is terrible, but that doesn't have much to do with my record swims. That's all mental attitude.