Once I'm already in my room, I still have to open a door to get into my bed. It's like a giant box. It's like the boy in a bubble.

The only reason I started swimming was for water safety. Then, once I started falling in love with sports, I got more comfortable with it.

Water has always been a large part of my life, so for me now, being a father with another child on the way, I'm just teaching some of the small things I've been able to learn - and passing that onto the younger generation. Small things like turning your faucet off when you brush your teeth, not taking a 30-minute shower when you really don't need to. So I want to teach the younger generation to spread the message and make a difference. I'm almost more excited to do this than I was to swim.

I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.

It's the Olympics. If you can't get up to swim early in the morning, don't go.

Our time on Earth is already short enough. For me, it's like every single day I try to be as happy as I can. It's crazy to think about. We never have enough time. That's always the thing. We always want to do more. So it's about being able to spend time on the things that are most important to you. Life is a lot easier that way, and obviously life is pretty difficult a lot of the time.

Perseverance, determination, commitment, and courage-those things are real. The desire for redemption drives you.