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U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS

July 2, 2016

Missy Franklin

Omaha, Nebraska

THE MODERATOR: Joined by Missy Franklin, who is, I believe, excited to punch her ticket back to Rio and help the team out once again.

MISSY FRANKLIN: Was Robby up here? Is that why there are rose petals?

THE MODERATOR: That's from Michael. I think he left them for you.

MISSY FRANKLIN: We'll go with that.

THE MODERATOR: Your comments on going back to Rio?

MISSY FRANKLIN: Sorry if you guys have heard this before, but I think this week has been a roller coaster, starting off not ideal. Not making that 100 Backstroke was really tough and kinda having to really show some grit and put myself out there and trust that just because things didn't go the way I wanted doesn't mean the rest of the week had to go like that, so coming back that 200 Free is one the most proud races I have had in my entire career, being able to get an individual spot and a relay spot. That meant the world to me and kind of filled me back up with hope and determination for the rest of the week.

And I knew that 100 was going to be tough coming into this week, you know, Todd told me after that race it was just crazy that in 2012 I was second with a 54.0, and so you look at how far we've come with that event, and it's exciting and it's exactly what we needed to do as a country. So I'm so proud of all those girls, and to end with a 2 Back, I know I can be better than what I was tonight, but I got a spot and that's all that matters.

Q. I must tell you, in "Swimming World" we were looking at your year. You turned pro, all the sponsorships and commitments and all that. It just looked like there was some overcommitment to your sponsorships, and we saw you in Mesa, you came out to Phoenix, and flew over to New York for Speedo and coming here, all these things starting off were in our minds, but we saw the endurance, the endurance was there. What was going through -- how did the transition from amateur to pro -- did it affect you? Is it something you are reflecting on now? Seemed like that was an element.
MISSY FRANKLIN: Absolutely, and I think it was. I think it's a transition year no matter what. Whatever that year is, when you turn professional, it's so exciting and there's so much new that's added to your plate, and so much that you have to learn to balance now that you didn't before, but I have the best agent in the entire world, and Mark and I sat down and we talked to Todd, we talked to Laura and we made sure that I was not overcommitting myself. We made sure swimming came first all the time, and we made sure I was aligning with brands that knew that and believed in that and trusted that and that weren't going to ask too much of me, and every single amazing company that I've partnered with has understood that to the max and always given me ample pool time, ample time in the weight room, and knowing that's first and foremost, but even with that it's still different.

You do travel more, and you have more obligations and you want to make even more people proud of you. I hope I was able to do that this week, and now I have a year under my belt of handling that.

Q. Michael had this -- he was the face of swimming for so long, and he kind of retired, and it was kind of something that people looked to you for now. We've got Katie doing amazing things and Michael is back, you've got Ryan, Maya this week, what is it like now having no one face, it seems like the sport is at an all-time high with such a group leading the way?
MISSY FRANKLIN: I love it, I think that's so special, and I think that says so much about our sport and about USA Swimming that we have so much talent, so many incredible people that you don't have to look for one superstar; you can find it with any single person on the team. I think we've always viewed the team like that, anyone who has been a part of the National Team has seen that. They have seen the talent and the personality that each swimmer brings to the table, and so now that the rest of the world and the rest of the country is recognizing that, too, is so special, and Omaha does a great job with all the interviews and things like that and showing those different personalities, and I think that's what helps people see that we're all going to come together as one big team, but we all have something really special to bring.

Q. Missy in this roller coaster week what do you think you learned about yourself that perhaps you didn't already know that will serve you well moving forward later this summer?
MISSY FRANKLIN: I learned a lot! I really haven't had enough time to fully kind of sit with it and look back and realize it, but I think one of the things, too, that I've realized over the past several days is I'm good at tricking myself and really good at, you know, kind of pretending things aren't there even if they might be, and that I do have people around me that I can be vulnerable with, and I do have people that I can open up to, and if I spend so much energy telling myself that everything is okay, I'm taking away from being able to say it's okay to be nervous, it's okay to be scared, it's okay to talk to someone about it, and it's okay to realize that it's different this time around.

I'm going to have a different place on this team, and it's going to be a different Olympics for me, and that was going to be the case no matter what happened. So definitely a lot to learn, and as Todd said earlier, you know, I think I thickened up my armor quite a bit this week, so moving forward just being very proud of that and excited to see where that toughness can lead me.

Q. Missy, of all the world-class swimmers, you seem to have the best perspective on swimming is just swimming. Where did the scaredness come in?
MISSY FRANKLIN: I think in just wanting to make people proud of me. You know, I felt so supported and so much love by so many different people. Sounds silly but even after my 100 Back, we walked out and I was like, oh thank God people still want my autograph! I had this idea that if I didn't live up to these expectations that so much was going to change, and this week has been very good in helping me realize that just like I've always said, even though I've never had to deal with it before, it's more than just being Missy the swimmer, it's about being Missy the person and making people proud of me both aspects, but I think the timidness came from just wanting so much to make people proud of me.

Q. You've been around now for a while, seventh straight year on the National Team, and this is going to be the end of the road for a lot of people. Your former teammate, Liz Pelton today retiring, so what's it like seeing all those people moving on and how has the sport changed over the last years?
MISSY FRANKLIN: It's really crazy. Nathan and I were talking about this in the warm-down pool. I think this year, more so than 2012, and I don't know if it's just because I'm more aware of it, but it seems a much larger transition year for a lot of people. There's a lot of more people retiring and a lot of people I've been on the team with now for several years that are retiring, and it's incredibly bittersweet.

Like I was saying the individuality that everybody brings to the table, not having those each individual personalities, it's going to be so hard. Like Nat not being there, Tyler Clary not being there, Matt Grevers, those are people that bring so much to the team out of the water, let along what they bring into it, so they are going to be so sorely missed. But to the people who are retiring, too, they left on the a high note. They left with everything they had left, that's so inspiring to see, so you just wish everyone the best, and the best part of this sport is I know I'm going to be friends with them for the rest of my life, so that's something I'm very much looking forward to.

Q. How has your faith impacted you this week on the roller coaster?
MISSY FRANKLIN: It's been huge, and it's special, too, to have people who are surrounding me who know that's such a big part of who I am. So, you know, those moments where I believe that everything happens for a reason, and a couple of weeks ago my church in Berkeley -- it's called Reality SF -- I listen to their podcasts, and they did a whole series on the Book of Job, and this week coincidentally I relied on that so much! So, again, God's great timing! I think he knew that I was going to need that knowledge coming into this week and to trust in God during suffering and hard times, and when things aren't going your way how you still praise him no matter what and that was the prayer I prayed before this started, that no matter what happened, I'm going to praise you, through everything, and I'm going to do the best to make you proud, and I think I was able to do that. And I know God's timing isn't always ours, but you just have to trust it's what's best, and moving forward I plan to stay very close to that.

Q. Missy, you mentioned Nathan. Word is he has a wicked wit! What is the last time he made you laugh and how?
MISSY FRANKLIN: Oh my gosh, every time we have a conversation! Nathan is so awesome, again, one of those personalities, the wicked way is accurate, very dry sense of humor that will come out of nowhere and get you every time. I'm so proud of him and of Tony for both of them making the team in that 50 tonight. That was very exciting.

Q. I know another personality that was big for the team four years ago was Allison Schmitt. She has gone through such a roller coaster of four years with everything she has dealt with. What does it mean to have her back and what personally is her relationship with you and what does it mean to have her on the team?
MISSY FRANKLIN: I could not be happier for Schmitty to make it in both of those freestyle relays. I get such a joy watching her swim and watching her on deck, and the fact that I'm going to be able to be with her this whole summer, I could not be more excited about that. Before her 200 Free, she sent me one of the sweetest texts I have ever received from a teammate, you know, just reminding me why we do this, reminding me what this is all about, and I think getting out of that race and seeing her, we were just excited that we got to be on another team together. That's what it's all about, that we get to travel the world together again, that we get to represent the best country in the world together again.

You have people like her in your life to remind you what's important and why we do this, and that we're going to have these memories to look back on forever.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Missy. Appreciate it.

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