Eric Shanteau

Getting to the Olympics was, has always been, my swimming dream since I was 8 or 9 years old. You know, right after I started swimming it was, 'I want to make an Olympic team. That's where I want to be.'

I think you have to be weird to swim breaststroke.

After my cancer diagnosis, I really took my swimming to a new level.

Olympic medals are the one medal that I don't have; I've won just about every other competition that I've been at.

I attacked my cancer diagnosis the same way I attack training and competing, and that's pretty fearless.

I think being an athlete prepares you for more things than people give us credit for.

If I have one message to young swimmers about taking care of their bodies, it's definitely take care of your shoulders.

I don't know what cancer did to me but I put on probably 10 pounds of muscle and got a lot stronger in the weight room and during our dry-land stuff.

I don't let myself get upset about the little nitpicky things anymore.

I've been in a Speedo half my life. So I am really comfortable with my body.

At 28, you need recovery time after training.

Most people take long breaks after Olympics. I needed some normalcy back in my life, so I came back to the pool.

I know there's life after the Olympics.

There's a lot more to life than just the Olympic Games.

I've kind of got an out in cancer. It keeps things in perspective for me.

When you get to an event like the Olympic Games, you can put too much pressure on yourself.

I'm really looking forward to just concentrating on the swimming part now instead of what's going on with me outside the pool.

Being happy outside the pool means fast swimming in the pool.

One of the things you learn when you get married is how you need to always work on continuing to make it better.

Obviously, losing a parent is very difficult. I miss my dad every day, but I know he would be proud to see me continuing to swim and going for another shot at the Olympics.