By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
July 12, 2016
Born in Lake Forest, Ill., to Dutch parents, 6-foot-8 inch Matt Grevers swam for Northwestern University and went on to win gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). Though Grevers, 31, didn’t qualify to compete at the Rio Olympics this summer, the Tucson resident remains one of America’s most respected swimmers.
Fans may follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Q. Many athletes say they had no time to sightsee during the athletes. Did you get a chance to tour Beijing or London?
A. I did. In Beijing, I stayed after the Games and went to the Great Wall with my parents. In London, I stayed after as well — explored Hyde Park and then traveled to the Netherlands with (my wife) Annie to see my Dutch family.
Q. Where have you traveled to that had the best waters for recreational swimming?
A. Most recently, Team USA had a training camp before 2015 Worlds in Opatija, Croatia. It’s a scenic resort town off the beautiful Adriatic Sea. That was nice water to take a dip in.
Q. Do you enjoy cold-weather vacations, such as skiing or snowboarding?
A. No! I grew up in Chicago, where I had my fair share of snow.
Q. When you’re traveling for fun and someone asks to race you, do you oblige them?
A. Yes! One of my strengths is my close connection with my inner child. I love games and challenges and have trouble turning any down.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Hawaii.
Q. To someone who was going there for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?
A. Lay on the beach at night, staring at the stars and listening to the waves crash in. People always think about going to the beach during the day, but not at night.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. Opatija, Croatia.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child? And did you love it … or not so much?
A. To Florida and I loved it! I liked the warm weather in the winter. I didn’t understand why we lived in a place that got so cold in the winters after going to Florida in December!
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. Be flexible. There will always be issues. Go with the flow.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. We don’t get those in this sport! Maybe up Mount Lemmon — a local Tucson treasure.
Q. Where is the most romantic destination?
A. Cruising through the Mediterranean. Annie and I took a cruise for our honeymoon — from Barcelona to Mallorca to Catalonia, Sicily, Pompeii and Savona. The balcony off of our room was magical.
Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A. That’s training camp time for swimmers! But my favorite camp was with my Northwestern University team — we went to Hawaii — trained hard in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Q. What are your favorite hotels?
A. Shangri-La in Singapore.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Chicago, Tucson, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam.
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A. Vichy, France.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. Greece.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Computer, Kindle, headphones.
Q. What would be your dream/fantasy trip?
A. A Mediterranean cruise with my closest friends and family. I can have privacy with my wife in our cabin, but also share adventures with family and friends without having to organize or move baggage around.
Q. What are your favorite restaurants?
A. Miss Saigon, a Vietnamese place in Tucson. Old Peking, a Chinese spot in Tucson.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. Chinese food at airports!
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. Weather, safety and currency exchange.
Q. What is your best vacation memory?
A. Traveling back in time walking through the ancient city of Pompeii with Annie.
© 2016 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
