Hi, I’m Garrett

A little about me

I’m a two-time Olympic gold medalist and current world record holder, and I’m using what I learned as an athlete to raise two young budding athletes of my own.

I found my love for swimming by playing many other sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, Tae Kwon Do, skiing, sailing, and others. I didn’t specialize in swimming until I was 14 years old, when I decided to focus on it myself.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics I swam the second leg of the 4×100 freestyle relay, a race a lot of people call one of the greatest in the history of the sport. Over my career I set four world records and eight American records, won two NCAA titles at the University of Texas, and in 2026 I was inducted into the University of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor.

I’m also the co-founder of Discover Term, which serves 6th through 12th graders around the country in two- and five-week programs that focus on developing physical skills and helping students gain independence and confidence through outdoor adventures.

Since swimming, I’ve brought the same standards to other fields: training in some of the world’s most demanding kitchens, including Noma, Maison Troisgros, and Daniel; leading Acton School of Business as CEO; serving as partner and COO of Campground Booking (acquired by Camping World); building and operating the number one rated RV resort in Central Texas, Gather Campground (sold in 2026); and today as COO of RV Help.

I’ve spoken at the White House, TEDx, Visa, Cisco Systems, Hilton Hotels, USA Today, and many others. I live in Austin, Texas, with my two kids.

Why I’m doing this

Nobody pushed me. My parents drove me to everything and let me pick. That’s why I was still in love with swimming at 23, and why I walked away from the sport whole instead of lost.

Now I’m a parent on the pool deck, feeling the same pull toward the scoreboard that every parent feels. Play Over Podium is what I’ve learned about resisting it.