February 2010 Alumnus of the Month

CRAIG OPPEL    

Remember Craig Oppel, the freestyle specialist, the red-headed, 6'4 Iowan who won the Olympic gold in Seoul, Korea?  Craig got his medal on the 4x200 free, but he was also dangerous at the 100 and the 100 fly, consistently ranking among the world's best from 1985 through his retirement in 1988.  Craig's weapon: his incredible six-beat kick.  He always came off of the wall, mid-race, powering the back half with his legs.  

Craig’s auburn locks are now gone.  He’s all gray and it suits him. He’s a distinguished, Iowan attorney who loves a good Iowa steak.  For those who swam with Craig on the 1988 Team or at UCLA, believe it or not, he looks fitter now than he did in his competitive days.  Craig is running a lot and dabbling in triathlons.  Like many former swimmers, he’d rather not get wet if he can help it.  Craig is however, more active in the swimming world today.  As a National Team Alum, he attended the ’08 Olympic Trials and the ’09 World Championship Trials as well as other USA Swimming Foundation events.  Craig is very kind and low-key, a humble guy; same as he's always been.  A good friend and supporter of the USA Swimming Foundation, we are happy to honor him as our Alumnus of the Month.

If you had to single out one enduring moment from your swimming career, what would that be?

This moment actually came several years after retiring from my swimming career. Twenty years after retirement, everyone I knew that was interested in seeing my Olympic medal had seen it.  It saw the light of day maybe twice a year, primarily staying in our basement safe. Olympic medals are rare, rarer still in Iowa. So with my family’s permission, I donated the medal to a local museum where everyone could view it. One day, I anonymously sat in the museum for half an hour, barely within range of the voices of the people looking at the medal. It was wonderful to hear their excitement in seeing it. I’m glad I could share this for all to see.

How important were the friendships you made as a swimmer and, who do you still keep in touch with today?

Swimmers are by nature, an odd group. I did not realize this until 18 months ago. After my swimming career ended, I went on about my life; finishing school, wife, kids and career. In early 2008, I received an email about the National Team Alumni Reunion in Omaha and the National Team Facebook group. Catching up with old friends through these events reminded me what a special group of people swimmers are. Anyone regardless of achievement level, who spends any time competitively swimming, has unique experiences that only other swimmers understand. It changes how one thinks and looks at the world. Other people don’t get swimmers, and swimmers don’t get other people. My wife has never understood it, but when she met my friends in Omaha, she was shocked to discover that those traits in me are universal in all swimmers.  Getting reacquainted with my swimming friends was the best thing I ever did.

Tell us about where you are today, and what you see in your future.

I am back home in Iowa. Since my father was in the military, we moved constantly. At the beginning of my seventh grade year, we landed in Iowa where I stayed until college. Attending college at UCLA and graduate school in New York made me realize I was not a big city person and that I was tired of moving. I returned to Iowa where I now work and live. I love my job as a lawyer for financial institutions and when not at work, I am home being “completely unreasonable” (my daughter’s words, not mine) about my children’s requests. My alone time is spent either cycling or running through a trail on a quiet piece of land. I don’t see that changing much.

What did you learn from your swimming experiences that prepared you for life post-swimming?

Even the most talented swimmers, the ones who can easily win races on talent alone spend hours of time in the pool. If you swim long enough, those hours turn into months, then years and (if you are lucky enough), even decades. Eventually, retirement comes to us all of us though and with it, the decision of what to do with the rest of your life. So you choose a career in (hopefully) something you love. And while there may be a gluttony of professionals in whatever profession one chooses, there is always room for the good ones. And even still, there are a select few who can get by on talent alone, but the number of professions where that is still possible reduces every day. More and more it is those people willing to put in the hours and do the work. It now takes the professional version of the “gym rat” to be successful; those willing to work harder and longer. Swimmers, with their background of hours a day in the pool have a natural advantage because they have already experienced tedious hours of work. In my experience, swimmers can’t understand when non-swimmers are unable to understand a swimmer’s work ethic. As a swimmer, you have a significant career advantage.