Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian is one of the six UC Berkeley alumni to be inducted into the 36th class of the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame. He will be inducted on the weekend of Oct. 21-22 in Berkeley, Sports Illustrated reports.
Adrian’s mother, Cecelia Adrian, was born and raised in Hong Kong. Adrian graduated from UC Berkeley in 2012 and majored in Public Health. In his career as a college athlete, Adrian was a five-time NCAA champion. In 2008, Adrian decided to take time off school and focus on competing in the Olympic trials, Heavy reports. According to SwimSwam, He moved to the Florida Keys, following his college coach.
“There were a lot of ‘what ifs’. The ultimate decision was on him, we trusted his judgment,” Adrian’s mom told SwimSwam in a 2016 interview. “He stayed down in the Florida Keys until the 2008 Olympic Trials and he was rewarded with a spot on the Olympic Team.”
A press release by UC Berkeley announcing Adrian’s induction described him as the swimming world’s most prolific sprinter, Swimming World Magazine reports. His accomplishments include being an eight-time gold medalist, and winning 32 medals in international swimming competitions.
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