WHEN HE RETIRED FROM COMPETITIVE SWIMMING AT AGE 22, ANTHONY ERVIN HAD MULTIPLE WORLD RECORDS, NCAA TITLES, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL UNDER HIS BELT. (That gold medal would later be auctioned off on eBay, its proceeds donated entirely to tsunami relief.) Ervin’s retirement from swimming allowed him to cultivate a new identity separate from his time as an Olympic champion, but not without pushing through darker challenges. “CHASING WATER: Elegy of an Olympian”, coauthored by Ervin and swimmer and journalist Constantine Markides (Akashic / Edge of Sports, April 5, 2016), is Ervin’s long-awaited personal tale of talent, turbulence, and transformation, released as Ervin trains for the 2016 Rio Olympics
Anthony Ervin is an American Olympian who resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to pursue his career as a professional swimmer, speaker, and coach. As the oldest competitor at the 2014 national championships, he won the title in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. He is currently training for the 2016 Olympic team.
