We all know how much Michael achieved at the 2004 Olympics. The records set and shattered, and the shine of all that Olympic gold. What a lot of folks don’t know is the connection to Loyola. Michael was a volunteer swimming coach at Loyola in 2004, and came back to do a swimming demonstration and discussion in September BEFORE going off to achieve Olympic fame (do 14 medals constitute fame or demi-god status?) We just found a few photos and somewhere we even have audio from the press conference…
For now, ponder how Loyola has managed such an amazing connection to the Olympics. Phil Scholtz ’11 holds 4 medals won in the Paralympics in 2009 and will be competing again in August of 2010 for more. Olympian Katie Hoff, with her ‘mere’ 3 Olympic medals, also helped coach swimming at Loyola in 2008-2009! Is it any wonder that Loyola has won so many MAAC Swimming & Diving Championships?