Courtesy: SPIRE
Elizabeth Beisel… Caeleb Dressel… Ryan Lochte…. You don’t have to be an insider in the world of competitive swimming to recognize these three individuals as among the most elite swimmers in the world.
All Olympians, and two of whom are current World Record Holders, these three super athletes have something else in common besides their remarkable achievements in pools around the world. All three have recently agreed to serve as ambassadors with SPIRE Institute and Academy, home to one of the most comprehensive Training and Education facilities in the world.
Last month, Beisel, Dressel, and Lochte joined track and field Olympians and fellow SPIRE ambassadors Tianna Bartoletta and Dwight Phillips on the SPIRE campus to meet the students and the press to discuss their new roles as ambassadors with the indoor training, education and competition complex near Lake Erie.
All the athletes present expressed their excitement about their new roles at SPIRE. As ambassadors, the group will be helping the Academy’s student athletes enhance their personal performance, hone their athletic abilities, and gain a competitive advantage– occasionally working with them one on one. In addition to this mentoring, the three will also work with SPIRE’s leadership team to help develop innovative, leading-edge programming, and provide insights to its coaches and performance training staff to perfect a program of exceptional coaching, reporting, testing and assessment to ensure that each Academy athlete is ready to perform at the next level.
Elizabeth Beisel, a three-time Olympian, Olympic team captain, and best-selling author whose passions include ocean conservancy and leadership for teenage girls, said, “I am thrilled to be a part of the SPIRE family for so many reasons. They emphasize world class academics for student athletes grades 9-12, all while providing the finest athletic facilities in North America on their campus. SPIRE’s values align perfectly with mine, and I look forward to educating and inspiring student athletes who will one day end up being the future of not just our sport, but our community as well.”
Olympic and World Record holder Caeleb Dressel is a highly decorated swimmer and accomplished athlete who, like Beisel, looks forward to mentoring SPIRE student athletes– but he was quick to say that improving their athleticism and performance is not his main goal. “I want to help these kids not only grow and develop as athletes but also as human beings,” he said. “There’s a bigger picture I want them to see. SPIRE has big dreams about the role they can play on the international athletic stage. Their dreams are big, but they’re not far-fetched. I think I can play a role in helping them achieve their goals. I’m all in!”
Ryan Lochte, a veteran of four Olympic games with 12 gold medals to his credit, is currently training for his fifth Olympics while working as an ambassador for SPIRE. “I’ve always wanted to be the best athlete and person I could be,” he said. “SPIRE has the same philosophy. From the moment I came on campus, I was blown away by the top-notch facilities and their desire to be the very best in the world at what they do. I’m here to help that happen.”
Beisel, Dressel, and Lochte, along with their fellow ambassadors, were on-site for several days before their public introduction, taking advantage of opportunities to safely interact with Academy students and discuss program development with the SPIRE leadership team.
According to SPIRE’s Managing Partner Jonathan Ehrenfeld, “Our hope for SPIRE reaches far beyond our campus. We see this as an opportunity and a responsibility to positively impact our community every day through youth engagement and economic development. We have a chance to bring national and international visibility to the city and to the student athletes training here for their passion. As custodians of this incredible asset, together with our leadership and our ambassadors, we are humbled and honored to take SPIRE on that journey.”
For more information on SPIRE Academy swimming programs, contact Director of Admissions Brian Oliver, [email protected] or visit the website www.spireinstitute.org/academy to download the Admissions Guide.
Swimming news is courtesy of SPIRE, a SwimSwam partner.