by: Casey Barrett, May 21
Nathan Adrian was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame… What he had to say defined the sport at its best.
Nathan Adrian, May 16, 2026, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Last weekend I had the privilege of writing the script for this year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame induction ceremony. For 61 years, the all-time greats of aquatic sport have traveled to Fort Lauderdale to be honored among the best athletes and coaches ever to take to water.
This year was particularly special for me, as my coach, Gregg Troy, was among the Hall of Fame class. (Note: I had quite a few coaches over the years, but Coach Troy is the only one I consider my true coach; I never would have reached the Games without him.) He had quite a turnout of family and former swimmers — both from the Bolles School, where I swam for him in the 90s, and from the University of Florida, where he led the Gators for twenty years. Coach’s induction speech was fantastic. It brought some tears, mine included. However, today I’m going to share another set of remarks that floored all in attendance.
They were delivered by Nathan Adrian. 2012 Olympic champion in the 100 freestyle, winner of 8 Olympic medals, 16 World Championship medals, and a Cal Bear who anchored more world class relays to count.
As an inductee, Nathan was a no-brainer. His swim CV speaks for itself. Yet, I’m not sure anyone was prepared for the profound speech he delivered. You might have caught the reference in my headline for this piece — ‘This is Swimming.’
21 years ago, David Foster Wallace delivered the 2005 commencement address for Kenyon College called ‘This is Water.’ It went viral. It’s become more or less the gold standard for anyone asked to give a commencement speech over the last two decades. ‘This is Water’ was even repackaged as a 137 page book, published by Little Brown in 2009. It’s been called “a timeless trove of wisdom for living a meaningful life.”
I’d call Nathan Adrian’s speech a timeless trove of swim world wisdom, one that honors the ‘chain of generosity’ behind every success, great and small. Among the global swimming community, it too deserves to go viral. I encourage you to share it far and wide.
Here it is. Listen to the audio or read the transcript below. Absorb it as you will. And then send it on to the swimmers and coaches and swim families in your life. As Nathan states: “This is a community that shows up for each other.” If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a part of that “chain of generosity” that Nathan speaks of.
A note about the audio below: The file I received also includes the introductory remarks from emcee Elizabeth Beisel and Nathan’s inductor, Rowdy Gaines. Nathan’s speech begin at the 2:51 mark, but why in the world would you skip past the eloquence of the two legends who introduced him?
And if you prefer to read rather than listen (as I do), here is the transcription of Nathan’s speech. Enjoy, everyone.
Thank you. I thought I would be first. I usually do go first when things like this happen because of alphabetical order. And here I am fifth. And after those incredible athletes. I mean, I just feel so honored to be up here in front of you all. But what’s a little imposter syndrome if not to tell you that you’re doing something right and you’re in the right place?
Standing in this room, I find myself wanting to talk about something other than me, or to start off by talking a little bit about the aquatics community as a whole. Swimming is not the most glamorous sport. We don’t necessarily fill the largest stadiums — yet. Outside of an Olympic year, most people can’t name the world champion in the 100 freestyle. We get up before the sun. We stare at a black line for hours and then we do it the next day. Our coaches pour decades into young swimmers for compensation that bears no relationship to the value that they’re giving. Our officials volunteer thousands of hours so that meets can happen. And our parents give up their weekends year after year after year after year. That chain of generosity is not accidental. It is what this community, that everybody here is a part of, is made of. I know this because I’ve lived inside that chain my entire career. I was the recipient of that generosity long before I understood what it was.
Coaches believed in me before I had earned it. Teammates carried me through the mornings when I had nothing left. People in this community gave me more than the sport required them to give, and they did it all without keeping score. And then there’s what swimming gives beyond itself. This community saves lives — literally. Every child who learns to be safe in the water, every drowning prevented, every family spared. That is this community’s work too. The generosity doesn’t stop at the pool deck. There are people in this room who have helped raise over $150 million for cancer research. I don’t think I need to explain to you all why that number means something to me personally, but I do want to say it out loud because I think it deserves to be said out loud. The same people who get up before dawn to stare at the black line also show up to fight for people that they’ve never even met. That is who we are.
Being inducted into this Hall of Fame means I get to be permanently associated with this community, with these people, and with you all. With what this sport does quietly every day without asking for recognition. For that, I am profoundly grateful. That chain of generosity that I just described, I do want to take a moment to talk about who was in mine. Mom and Dad, you put me in the water, you drove me to practice, and you gave me every opportunity to see how far I can take this sport. I’m forever grateful. My brother and sister, Justin and Daniella, as younger siblings do, I chased you into the sport. Your belief in me and support throughout meant more than you could ever know. My wife, Hallie, you have been my constant. In the best moments and the hardest ones, you were there and you never made me feel like I had to face anything alone. To our little girls, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me — and it’s not even close. To every coach and member of the support staff, you gave me your expertise, your time, and your belief. I was a better swimmer because of you and I am a better person because of you.
I do want to single out Dave Durden. Dave, to steal a quote from you, ‘this stuff ain’t easy.’ That was censored, of course, for the innocent ears in the room. But you somehow made it look easy. You gave your athletes everything, every single day. And you made the hardest sport in the world feel like it was exactly where we were all supposed to be. And last but not least, to my teammates and friends, you made the hard days bearable and the great days unforgettable. I would do it all again just to be in that pool with you all. I talk tonight about a community that shows up for each other. You were my first experience with that. Everything I said up here, I learned from being around you all. Thank you.
Share KYST with Casey Barrett