I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me, not me about them.
I cannot control what goes on in another lane and this is how I focus on the Games. There is no point in being nervous of other swimmers. It's just about focusing on yourself and what you need to do in order to perform at your best.
Is it my fault that there is a stereotype that black people are not good swimmers? I know that's a joke, but somebody will say, 'I can't believe you would say that.' Well, first of all it's just a joke, and second of all if you watch the Olympics, black people win medals in jumping, running. They don't win any in swimming.
The best swimmers are the ones that almost don't try the most... It's just about relaxing and enjoying it.
Swimmers provide much healthier role models for teenagers than the catwalk.
I grew up a competitive swimmer. I wanted to go the Olympics. Both my parents were professional swimmers. I competed internationally quite often, right up until I moved to California to pursue music.
If I have one message to young swimmers about taking care of their bodies, it's definitely take care of your shoulders.
I can sit back in 10, 15, 20 years, when I'm sitting with my kids, I'll be able to say that I'm sitting in Ravens Stadium during a game, and I'm watching one of the best swimmers ever win a Gold for the U.S. You know, as you get older, you cherish those kinds of moments.
The newspapers loved pinup pictures of pretty young swimmers, and as a national champion, I got more than my share of space in the sports pages.
Nothing against the Olympics. I played in 2012 and it was an incredible experience. It's different for tennis players than for swimmers and track and field athletes. That's the pinnacle of their sport and not so much the pinnacle of tennis.
