Olympian Ryan Lochte stops by Windermere Prep to promote swim clinic

There was one Olympian on campus at Windermere Prep the morning of March 12 — and on April 14, there will be four.

Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, dropped by Windermere Prep’s pool to promote a swim clinic and celebration for the Mac Crutchfield Foundation. 

The clinic and celebration are sponsored by TYR Sport, and Windermere Lakers Aquatics — a year-round competitive swim team that operates out of Windermere Prep — will host. The clinic will take place at the Lakers’ on-campus pool, while the celebration will take place at The Pines at Windermere.

The clinic is open to youth swimmers of all ages and skill levels, and tickets for the celebration are open to the public.

Lochte will be joined by fellow Olympians Caeleb Dressel, Jan Switkowski (Poland) and Gemma Spofforth (United Kingdom) at the events. 

Lochte, who went to Spruce Creek High and swam for the University of Florida, relishes the chance to share swimming knowledge and technique.

“The kids are why I’m still swimming,” Lochte said. “A lot of people say, ‘What are you going to do when swimming is all done?’ And I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m probably going to go around the country or world teaching little kids how to swim.’”

The Mac Crutchfield Foundation was established in 2009 to honor the life of Mac Crutchfield, who died in a drowning accident at age 12 despite being an accomplished swimmer. The foundation is dedicated to keeping Mac’s love for the water alive by inspiring everyone to swim. 

Maggie Crutchfield is Mac’s mother and the foundation’s founder, and her intent has been to develop pro-swimming programs and promote health, fun and safety in the water — including events such as the clinic at Windermere Prep.

“We have so many opportunities to do prevention,” Maggie Crutchfield said. “There’s no reason not to get out and support something that your community will benefit from.”

For more information about the event, visit maccrutchfieldfoundation.com.