“There were times I wouldn’t come to practice, because it didn’t excite me. It wasn’t interesting. I was kind of going through the motions.”

This is my 20th year in the sport. I’ve known swimming and that’s it. I don’t want to swim past age 30; if I continue after this Olympics, and come back in 2016, I’ll be 31. I’m looking forward to being able to see the other side of the fence.

I’m so sick of the water.

Once I retire, I’m retiring. I’m done.

I know it won’t be eight medals again. If you want to compare me to that, that’s your decision, not mine. I’m going out there to try to accomplish the things that I have in my mind and in my heart.

I want to go to the World Cup. I want to go to the Masters. I want to go anywhere.

The more you dream the more you achieve.

I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don’t have a strict diet. It’s all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can.

I want to continue the sport of swimming. I’m not going to give up until I think it’s reached where I want it to go.

I think the biggest things I am looking forward to is getting new faces into the sport. Getting kids who could be afraid of water to feel comfortable in the pool.

I think everybody pees in the pool. It’s kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers.

Even in high school, I’d tell my mom I was sick of swimming and wanted to try to play golf. She wasn’t too happy. She’d say, ‘Think about this.’ And I’d always end up getting back in the pool.

I try to separate my personal life from swimming.

I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.

I always thought, it would be neat to make the Olympic team.

I can only control my own performance. If I do my best, then I can feel good at the end of the day.

I’m the same kind of guy before all this happened.