July 30, 2024 • 20 mins
When Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang think Olympic perfection, it’s Greg Louganis that comes to mind. The Olympic legend drops by for an engaging conversation on competition and why he gave away two of his gold medals. Greg recalls his amazing performance in 1988 while revealing the battles he fought just getting ready to dive in Seoul. Find out what still drives this Olympic champion and the amazing next chapter he’s about to embark on by diving into the latest episode of The Two Guys, Five Rings podcast.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Well, Bowen, I think this may just be the luckiest
day of our lives and our listeners' lives, because we
have a true legend. And when does that happen? Certainly
not when it's just us talking.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Not when it's just us talking. I feel like I
about to dive off the three meter springboard into iconography with.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Oh man, Yes, we made a vested, didn't we We
sure did, and the puns are already flying. Our producer
made one before we got on. Bowen, just made one
before we make a third and embarrass ourselves already. Let's introduce,
I mean, just one of the all time greats. He's
already up and at him this morning. He's got a
school event he's fitting us in where the schedule is
(00:44):
jam packed. Everyone. Please welcome four time Olympic gold medalist
Greg lugayin us. Everybody, Hey, hi, Hi, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
We're good, We're not as we're not as active as
your today. What's the school event you're going to?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Okay, So in Oxnard, the school district in Auxnard, they're
doing an Olympic Day. So they invited some Olympians and
Paralympians and we've been going to schools and chatting with
the kids in the morning and then we play games
in the afternoon. Yesterday we were dancing. We were learning,
you know, a dance hip hop. It's been fun. It's
(01:22):
been like, how are you with a hip hop combo?
Can you tear it up?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I do pretty good, you know, I can hold my own.
I mean even at sixty four, you know. Yeah, the
kids were like, you're what you was sixty four?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Oh my god, you're keeping it tight, sir.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, I do my bast I try hard.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Listen. Not everyone can say that that Mario Lopus played
them in a movie.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Oh I know, right, Oh my god. I mean I
should be so lucky, you know. I told him, I said, yeah,
I should look so good.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
You know. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
We were talking about this the other episode because you've
come up more times and we were like breaking the
surface the film. I feel like, I feel like you'd
rather have somewhat like a Greg leugainis being that role,
you know, I mean just just in terms of just
in terms of wattage and attraction, star factor, all of it. Well,
I did a diving right you did.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, So I have bragging rights to say that I
was Mario Lopez's body double.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
That's something that's a huge thing.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So, I mean, the Olympics are, they're here. I just
want to pick your brain a little bit. Four Olympic
Games you were participating in.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I qualified for four Olympic Games, but I only participated
in three because we had a boycott, right right.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
So exactly. So I mean just in the course of
your career there four Olympics happened. So in terms of
the memories that you have when you think back, like
how clear are you? Were you able to soak all
that in at the time, and if you could have
a favorite moment or a favorite like era of the
Olympics that you did, could you speak to those.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, the only opening ceremonies that I went to was
my first one Montreal, because like I you know, it's
like my first Olympics. I mean, you got to do that, right,
But diving is generally is at the end, you know,
when I was competing, it's at the end of the Olympics.
So my concern I didn't participate in the opening ceremonies
(03:27):
in eighty four because I knew that I would probably
go to the opening ceremonies. Get all hyped up, have
an incredible week of workouts, and then the second week
when I had to compete, I probably would have been flat.
So I was really protective of my energy, you know,
because there were so many expectations that people had of me.
(03:49):
And then eighty eight pretty much the same thing. We
were towards the end of the schedule, and so I
didn't go to the opening ceremonies and then the closing ceremonies.
I got carded to do a drug test and I
was trying to pee in a cup. I missed the
bus to go to the closing ceremonies because I was
trying to pee in a cup. You know.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Wow, the little things you got to check off the list.
And that piano cup, right, how many times do you
think you've peed in a cup in your life?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Oh my god, Oh my god. You know she may
need to really really count. Yeah. I mean I've been
drug tested since I was sixteen. I mean that was
my first Olympics. I was sixteen.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Wow, gosh, I talk about this some idea. This is
this is what I find really remarkable about you, is
that this idea of like separating whatever accomplishment is in
those things from the medals and like giving the medals away,
like talk about giving the medals away, auction them off
like that. I find that incredible because, yeah, I mean,
(04:51):
don't you want to keep that trophy around in some yeah,
you know.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Okay, So getting through the eighty eight Olympics after I
hit my hat on the board, I'm not a fighter,
you know. And so who I thought of was Ryan White.
You know. Ryan White is a young boy who was
a hemophiliac. He contracted HIV through his clouding factor, and
he was a fighter. He fought for the right for
(05:18):
kids to go to school, you know, kids that were
HIV positive, and so he was a fighter. So he
was my inspiration. And so that's the reason why I
gave that medal to Genie White, because Ryan was my inspiration.
And then that was it's at the Children's Museum in
Indianapolis because they took his room and made it into
(05:42):
a museum. And then in eighty four when I broke
seven hundred and ten meters platform, it was a dream
come true competition for me because it was like my coach,
Ron O'Brien and I it was just like a dance.
I mean, we were just having fun. Playing, you know,
joking around banter and it was just an incredible experience.
(06:04):
And then I broke seven hundred and so I gave
that medal to Ron because it was just a culmination
of all the work and love and trust that we
had in each other that we we did that together.
You know, I'm a firm believer you don't achieve greatness
on your own, and so somebody is always there, you know,
whether it's a supportive parent or a coach or friend
(06:27):
or somebody. You know, somebody's always in your corner totally.
So yeah, I mean the medals they didn't sell, you know,
because there was a you know, they had to go
for you know, so much. But the hopes was to
provide funding for Damien House because they outgrew the facility
that they're in and they provide services to the HIV
(06:50):
community in Indianapolis and so they do incredible work. So
you know, they're you know, they need to you know,
they're building out to be able to service more people.
So yeah, I was trying to help them out, but
that that didn't quite work out. But you know, I
do what I can, you know, to you know, to
(07:10):
try and help them out.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, but just the concept of that of I guess,
for lack of a better word, like externalizing your accomplishment,
which I know which you which we know where you're
not taking so credit for. But it's still pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, But you know, the metals are you know, it's
funny because like a lot of people say, oh, put
the metals on, and I don't generally put the metals on,
you know, to get my picture taken, because I want
to remember, you know, what it was, you know, when
they put it on the first time, you know, when
I was on the podium they put it on, and
(07:43):
that's the memory that I want to have, and so
I try and stay pretty true to that. And also
the metals are just things.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, the memories and the symbol is what it really
is about.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, and you know, and if they
can give pleasure enjoy to somebody for whatever reason, you know,
Ryan being my inspiration, ron O'Brien being my coach who
was with me by my side through so much to
be able to share that, that brings me joy.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Absolutely. I mean, just to hear you even speak about
Ryan White, it just kind of just snaps you into
the reality that this was such a different world that
we were living in, I mean cellularly on a basic level,
like we did not have anywhere near the information, understanding
or compassion for people that were HIV positive or experiencing
what it means to go through AIDS at that time. Yeah,
(08:53):
to hear yourself characterize yourself as not a fighter, I
just want to go back to that for a second,
because you said you're not a fighter. I think, sir,
you are the definition of a fighter and a true
legend not only in sports, but in awareness. And then
you know, like even today, you're up and you're out
to change and improve lives and morale and just you know,
(09:14):
you're the Olympic spirit SI lives in you. I want
to know why you don't characterize yourself as a fighter.
Is it because you think about people at the time
and you don't want to take that mantle because that's
for people that really suffered or maybe are no longer
with us. What is that?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Well, I've always been a performer, you know, because I
started doing dancing acrobatics when I was a year and
a half and I was performing on stage when I
was three, and so I've always been a performer. I
feel and This is, you know, my feeling. I will
help somebody to beat me, you know, I will tell
(09:52):
them how to beat me, because the better they do,
the better I'm going to do. And it's all about
each other, you know. And and that's the way that
I see it. You know, we're all, you know, you know,
being our best selves. If you're helping somebody else to
be their best self, then we're elevating each other. Where
(10:16):
it's not a competition, right, I don't.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I don't see it as a competition. I see it
as really elevating humanity.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
So I wonder does that you say you've always been
a performer, did you throughout your Olympic career think of
it as performance and more as more than a competition,
because that's a way I haven't heard an Olympic athlete
characterize their Olympic performance. You know.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
It's interesting because, like I've talked to quite a few
Olympians and you know, medalists, gold medalists and all that.
And there are some athletes that are performers. Their focus
is on their own performance and that is what spurs
them on. There are other athletes that are pure competitors, right,
(11:00):
Michael Johnson. I was, you know, I was talking with
him and said, yeah, I want the fastest person right
next to me so I can kick there. But you know,
I was like, okay, So that's what drives him, you know.
But for me, I always felt that if I look
at somebody as my competition, then what I'm doing is
(11:21):
I'm limiting the potential that I potentially have, because chances
are if they miss a dive, then I'm going to
miss a die. Yeah, because I'm using them as a
benchmark as my competition. And so if they are off
a little bit, then chances are I'll let up, you know,
(11:43):
And I don't want to do that. I want to
give the absolute best performance that I can give. I mean,
it's like, you know, because my background is in theater,
you know, and that's what you know, the directors are
always telling you every night there's opening night, you know,
because it's near to that audience, right, and.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
You're only as good as your let's say, weakest co star.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Well yeah, but and the thing is okay, so people
would say, well, what was your favorite dive? I didn't
have a favorite dive. They all had to be my
favorite dive. So in the same vein, You're only as
great as your weakest dive, your weakest link in the chain, right,
and so you what you want to do is you
(12:29):
want to strengthen that chain. You know that you want
to strengthen that weak link so that you don't have
a weak link.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Yeah, I mean you saying you don't have a favorite dive.
I was going to ask are all your Olympic achievements
created equally? But I was thinking about it, and like you,
coming from theater and being a performer, honestly, I understand
that eighty eight was a lot of drama because of
the head, because of you know the moment. Yeah, in
a way, that has to be your favorite, right, because
(12:57):
you a performer, you really brought the in eighty eight.
I mean you had all of the world being on
the edge of their seat like you were mental streep
on stage.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
King. You know what, It's so interesting that you brought
up eighty eight and that whole situation, you know, you
you know, looking at the big picture, Yeah it was.
It was pretty incredible. But I went back because when
I was diagnosed six months prior to the Olympic Games,
and I went to Anthony Fauci and he wanted to
(13:27):
treat me very aggressively, so he made AZYT available to me.
So I was on azy T right away, and so
I didn't have anybody to talk to about my medications
and the side effects and all that stuff. I was
literally crawling from my bed in the morning through the bathroom,
pouring myself the hottest bath that I could stand, get
(13:49):
in their soak for twenty minutes before I could touch
my toes and be able to function. Wow, I thought
I was overtraining. But now looking back, one of the
side effects of the AZT was low testostera. So basically
my body was eating itself up because it didn't have
the hormones to uh, you know, to replenish and rebuild.
(14:12):
And so I watched recently the eighty eight Olympic Games,
my performance in eighty Olympic Games, and I could see it,
you know, I wasn't jumping as high, I wasn't spinning
as fast, and so yeah, I mean that was it
was pretty drastic, you know, looking at it through a
(14:34):
different lens and with new information, and so yeah, I
mean I was just very very lucky, fortunate, and you know,
and and and in some ways, you know, it was
ignorance is bliss, right. I didn't know. I didn't know
any better, So I was just pushing myself and to be,
(14:55):
you know, the best I could be at that moment
in time.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
But man, I mean, looking at it now, it's just
like that was crazy. It was crazy to think that
I went two Olympic gold medals on easy team. Yeah,
that's insane.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
While you were in this brain fog. Yeah, I mean
that kind of makes the achievement of it all the
more remarkable. Yeah, before we let you go, we want
to ask you. You seem like someone who's always looking
for the next big challenge in life. What is the
next big thing for Greg?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Gosh? The next big thing for me? Well, I also
trained dogs, So I've got a little hungarian Pumi who's
very talented, and so my hopes for him is to
make world team. Yes, so we're in training for that.
So that's probably the next big thing. And also, you know, family,
(15:50):
I'm adopted and so both my parents who raised me
are no longer on this plane. But I my biological father,
you know, I've struck up a relationship with that, and
so learning family, re learning what family means to me.
It's it's really really fascinating. You know, got a brother
(16:14):
and two sisters in Hawaii, and so yeah, more discovery
about family beautiful.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's incredible. It's just such an honor to talk to
you for even a short amount of time. We could
do it for four more hours, but I know you
got some lucky students to go talk to. So thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Greg.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I mean, if we might say, you're definitely a fighter,
and I mean just to see you out there still
inspiring is inspiring in its own right. So thank you
so much for giving us your time today.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Hopefully we can connect and face to face.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
So yeah, yeah, where are you guys?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Where are you?
Speaker 1 (16:53):
So? I'm in Los Angeles? Boone famously is in New York.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I'm in New York. But yes, but oh okay we
go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Okay, well yeah we'll connect. We'll connect, definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Must absolutely sure.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Thanks so much for my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Well, Matt, that was just delightful. What a real honor
to talk to him, even through zoom. It kind of
just exudes. It comes through like technology is nothing. It's
like it just transcends.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
All it really, I mean, the top about the star quality,
I mean, it's really it's and it also seems like
we're going to be hanging out with him at some point,
so I just know he jams out in person.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Absolutely what an incredible human being, someone who I think
probably has like the right mindset about the Olympic Games
throughout the entire like sort of span of it, like
leading up to his games, his three Olympics, doing the
actual thing, and then in the sort of like post
(17:56):
Olympics life that a lot of these in Olympians lead.
I feel like he's set such a wonderful example.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Absolutely, I mean, and he has accomplished so much since
then and lived so much life since then. There was
a few things I wanted to talk to him about
what I didn't get to, such as having an iconic
Greek last name, but not being Greek yourself, because Louganis
that's not just a Greek last name, that is a
very very Greek last name and adopted. So I mean,
(18:23):
just the amount of people who probably come up to
him and say ya sas he probably it's probably a
lot of emotional overwhelmed sure, sure.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
And worst of all, ol of Tone's skin and so
of course people just like even visually just kind of
identify that with him.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
You couldn't have told me he was in Greek, right,
but now I'm telling you he's not.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
He's not. And you know, the thing that inspired him
to put his metals up for auction was Marie Condo,
So another w for Marie kind of influencing the original influencer,
not THEA but you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I mean talking about OG influencers. You know, famous COVID
influencer Fauci. Anthony Fauci has been coming into the mix
in the late eighties.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
I mean, one of the first people to get azet.
The fact that he was literally suffering through those eighty
eight games and he still wins gold pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
And to not call himself a fighter or not identify
as one that I'll tell you what that really is
right there, that's true humility. You can tell he really
feels in service not only to the people watching, but
to the people alongside him. And that was really inspiring
to to hear him talk about how it's only worth
winning if you're going up against the best, which I've
always agreed with. But you know it's you watch the
(19:44):
traders now and it's like they want to knock the
good people out so they can get to the end.
And that's not Olympics, no, correct.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Luganis would be terrible on the traders.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
He would not be good at the traders at all.
He'd be a terrible trader. He's too kind, he's too sweet,
and we just saw that firsthand. You guys, the Olympics
are underway. You can listen to our episodes which are
flying freely coming at you. Two guys, five rings us
the podcast. We thank you so much for listening as always, isn't.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
That right, bo, I'm so thankful and thank you for
speaking on my behalf and thank god it was the truth.
Follow the show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music,
or your favorite podcast platform, and watch and listen to
every moment of the twenty twenty four Parasalympic Games July
twenty sixth through August eleventh on NBC and Peacock and
(20:33):
for the first time ever, on the iHeartRadio app.
Well, Bowen, I think this may just be the luckiest
day of our lives and our listeners' lives, because we
have a true legend. And when does that happen? Certainly
not when it's just us talking.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Not when it's just us talking. I feel like I
about to dive off the three meter springboard into iconography with.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Oh man, Yes, we made a vested, didn't we We
sure did, and the puns are already flying. Our producer
made one before we got on. Bowen, just made one
before we make a third and embarrass ourselves already. Let's introduce,
I mean, just one of the all time greats. He's
already up and at him this morning. He's got a
school event he's fitting us in where the schedule is
(00:44):
jam packed. Everyone. Please welcome four time Olympic gold medalist
Greg lugayin us. Everybody, Hey, hi, Hi, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
We're good, We're not as we're not as active as
your today. What's the school event you're going to?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Okay, So in Oxnard, the school district in Auxnard, they're
doing an Olympic Day. So they invited some Olympians and
Paralympians and we've been going to schools and chatting with
the kids in the morning and then we play games
in the afternoon. Yesterday we were dancing. We were learning,
you know, a dance hip hop. It's been fun. It's
(01:22):
been like, how are you with a hip hop combo?
Can you tear it up?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I do pretty good, you know, I can hold my own.
I mean even at sixty four, you know. Yeah, the
kids were like, you're what you was sixty four?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Oh my god, you're keeping it tight, sir.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, I do my bast I try hard.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Listen. Not everyone can say that that Mario Lopus played
them in a movie.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Oh I know, right, Oh my god. I mean I
should be so lucky, you know. I told him, I said, yeah,
I should look so good.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
You know. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
We were talking about this the other episode because you've
come up more times and we were like breaking the
surface the film. I feel like, I feel like you'd
rather have somewhat like a Greg leugainis being that role,
you know, I mean just just in terms of just
in terms of wattage and attraction, star factor, all of it. Well,
I did a diving right you did.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, So I have bragging rights to say that I
was Mario Lopez's body double.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
That's something that's a huge thing.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So, I mean, the Olympics are, they're here. I just
want to pick your brain a little bit. Four Olympic
Games you were participating in.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I qualified for four Olympic Games, but I only participated
in three because we had a boycott, right right.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
So exactly. So I mean just in the course of
your career there four Olympics happened. So in terms of
the memories that you have when you think back, like
how clear are you? Were you able to soak all
that in at the time, and if you could have
a favorite moment or a favorite like era of the
Olympics that you did, could you speak to those.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Well, the only opening ceremonies that I went to was
my first one Montreal, because like I you know, it's
like my first Olympics. I mean, you got to do that, right,
But diving is generally is at the end, you know,
when I was competing, it's at the end of the Olympics.
So my concern I didn't participate in the opening ceremonies
(03:27):
in eighty four because I knew that I would probably
go to the opening ceremonies. Get all hyped up, have
an incredible week of workouts, and then the second week
when I had to compete, I probably would have been flat.
So I was really protective of my energy, you know,
because there were so many expectations that people had of me.
(03:49):
And then eighty eight pretty much the same thing. We
were towards the end of the schedule, and so I
didn't go to the opening ceremonies and then the closing ceremonies.
I got carded to do a drug test and I
was trying to pee in a cup. I missed the
bus to go to the closing ceremonies because I was
trying to pee in a cup. You know.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Wow, the little things you got to check off the list.
And that piano cup, right, how many times do you
think you've peed in a cup in your life?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Oh my god, Oh my god. You know she may
need to really really count. Yeah. I mean I've been
drug tested since I was sixteen. I mean that was
my first Olympics. I was sixteen.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Wow, gosh, I talk about this some idea. This is
this is what I find really remarkable about you, is
that this idea of like separating whatever accomplishment is in
those things from the medals and like giving the medals away,
like talk about giving the medals away, auction them off
like that. I find that incredible because, yeah, I mean,
(04:51):
don't you want to keep that trophy around in some yeah,
you know.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Okay, So getting through the eighty eight Olympics after I
hit my hat on the board, I'm not a fighter,
you know. And so who I thought of was Ryan White.
You know. Ryan White is a young boy who was
a hemophiliac. He contracted HIV through his clouding factor, and
he was a fighter. He fought for the right for
(05:18):
kids to go to school, you know, kids that were
HIV positive, and so he was a fighter. So he
was my inspiration. And so that's the reason why I
gave that medal to Genie White, because Ryan was my inspiration.
And then that was it's at the Children's Museum in
Indianapolis because they took his room and made it into
(05:42):
a museum. And then in eighty four when I broke
seven hundred and ten meters platform, it was a dream
come true competition for me because it was like my coach,
Ron O'Brien and I it was just like a dance.
I mean, we were just having fun. Playing, you know,
joking around banter and it was just an incredible experience.
(06:04):
And then I broke seven hundred and so I gave
that medal to Ron because it was just a culmination
of all the work and love and trust that we
had in each other that we we did that together.
You know, I'm a firm believer you don't achieve greatness
on your own, and so somebody is always there, you know,
whether it's a supportive parent or a coach or friend
(06:27):
or somebody. You know, somebody's always in your corner totally.
So yeah, I mean the medals they didn't sell, you know,
because there was a you know, they had to go
for you know, so much. But the hopes was to
provide funding for Damien House because they outgrew the facility
that they're in and they provide services to the HIV
(06:50):
community in Indianapolis and so they do incredible work. So
you know, they're you know, they need to you know,
they're building out to be able to service more people.
So yeah, I was trying to help them out, but
that that didn't quite work out. But you know, I
do what I can, you know, to you know, to
(07:10):
try and help them out.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, but just the concept of that of I guess,
for lack of a better word, like externalizing your accomplishment,
which I know which you which we know where you're
not taking so credit for. But it's still pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, But you know, the metals are you know, it's
funny because like a lot of people say, oh, put
the metals on, and I don't generally put the metals on,
you know, to get my picture taken, because I want
to remember, you know, what it was, you know, when
they put it on the first time, you know, when
I was on the podium they put it on, and
(07:43):
that's the memory that I want to have, and so
I try and stay pretty true to that. And also
the metals are just things.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, the memories and the symbol is what it really
is about.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, and you know, and if they
can give pleasure enjoy to somebody for whatever reason, you know,
Ryan being my inspiration, ron O'Brien being my coach who
was with me by my side through so much to
be able to share that, that brings me joy.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Absolutely. I mean, just to hear you even speak about
Ryan White, it just kind of just snaps you into
the reality that this was such a different world that
we were living in, I mean cellularly on a basic level,
like we did not have anywhere near the information, understanding
or compassion for people that were HIV positive or experiencing
what it means to go through AIDS at that time. Yeah,
(08:53):
to hear yourself characterize yourself as not a fighter, I
just want to go back to that for a second,
because you said you're not a fighter. I think, sir,
you are the definition of a fighter and a true
legend not only in sports, but in awareness. And then
you know, like even today, you're up and you're out
to change and improve lives and morale and just you know,
(09:14):
you're the Olympic spirit SI lives in you. I want
to know why you don't characterize yourself as a fighter.
Is it because you think about people at the time
and you don't want to take that mantle because that's
for people that really suffered or maybe are no longer
with us. What is that?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Well, I've always been a performer, you know, because I
started doing dancing acrobatics when I was a year and
a half and I was performing on stage when I
was three, and so I've always been a performer. I
feel and This is, you know, my feeling. I will
help somebody to beat me, you know, I will tell
(09:52):
them how to beat me, because the better they do,
the better I'm going to do. And it's all about
each other, you know. And and that's the way that
I see it. You know, we're all, you know, you know,
being our best selves. If you're helping somebody else to
be their best self, then we're elevating each other. Where
(10:16):
it's not a competition, right, I don't.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I don't see it as a competition. I see it
as really elevating humanity.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
So I wonder does that you say you've always been
a performer, did you throughout your Olympic career think of
it as performance and more as more than a competition,
because that's a way I haven't heard an Olympic athlete
characterize their Olympic performance. You know.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
It's interesting because, like I've talked to quite a few
Olympians and you know, medalists, gold medalists and all that.
And there are some athletes that are performers. Their focus
is on their own performance and that is what spurs
them on. There are other athletes that are pure competitors, right,
(11:00):
Michael Johnson. I was, you know, I was talking with
him and said, yeah, I want the fastest person right
next to me so I can kick there. But you know,
I was like, okay, So that's what drives him, you know.
But for me, I always felt that if I look
at somebody as my competition, then what I'm doing is
(11:21):
I'm limiting the potential that I potentially have, because chances
are if they miss a dive, then I'm going to
miss a die. Yeah, because I'm using them as a
benchmark as my competition. And so if they are off
a little bit, then chances are I'll let up, you know,
(11:43):
And I don't want to do that. I want to
give the absolute best performance that I can give. I mean,
it's like, you know, because my background is in theater,
you know, and that's what you know, the directors are
always telling you every night there's opening night, you know,
because it's near to that audience, right, and.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
You're only as good as your let's say, weakest co star.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Well yeah, but and the thing is okay, so people
would say, well, what was your favorite dive? I didn't
have a favorite dive. They all had to be my
favorite dive. So in the same vein, You're only as
great as your weakest dive, your weakest link in the chain, right,
and so you what you want to do is you
(12:29):
want to strengthen that chain. You know that you want
to strengthen that weak link so that you don't have
a weak link.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Yeah, I mean you saying you don't have a favorite dive.
I was going to ask are all your Olympic achievements
created equally? But I was thinking about it, and like you,
coming from theater and being a performer, honestly, I understand
that eighty eight was a lot of drama because of
the head, because of you know the moment. Yeah, in
a way, that has to be your favorite, right, because
(12:57):
you a performer, you really brought the in eighty eight.
I mean you had all of the world being on
the edge of their seat like you were mental streep
on stage.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
King. You know what, It's so interesting that you brought
up eighty eight and that whole situation, you know, you
you know, looking at the big picture, Yeah it was.
It was pretty incredible. But I went back because when
I was diagnosed six months prior to the Olympic Games,
and I went to Anthony Fauci and he wanted to
(13:27):
treat me very aggressively, so he made AZYT available to me.
So I was on azy T right away, and so
I didn't have anybody to talk to about my medications
and the side effects and all that stuff. I was
literally crawling from my bed in the morning through the bathroom,
pouring myself the hottest bath that I could stand, get
(13:49):
in their soak for twenty minutes before I could touch
my toes and be able to function. Wow, I thought
I was overtraining. But now looking back, one of the
side effects of the AZT was low testostera. So basically
my body was eating itself up because it didn't have
the hormones to uh, you know, to replenish and rebuild.
(14:12):
And so I watched recently the eighty eight Olympic Games,
my performance in eighty Olympic Games, and I could see it,
you know, I wasn't jumping as high, I wasn't spinning
as fast, and so yeah, I mean that was it
was pretty drastic, you know, looking at it through a
(14:34):
different lens and with new information, and so yeah, I
mean I was just very very lucky, fortunate, and you know,
and and and in some ways, you know, it was
ignorance is bliss, right. I didn't know. I didn't know
any better, So I was just pushing myself and to be,
(14:55):
you know, the best I could be at that moment
in time.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
But man, I mean, looking at it now, it's just
like that was crazy. It was crazy to think that
I went two Olympic gold medals on easy team. Yeah,
that's insane.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
While you were in this brain fog. Yeah, I mean
that kind of makes the achievement of it all the
more remarkable. Yeah, before we let you go, we want
to ask you. You seem like someone who's always looking
for the next big challenge in life. What is the
next big thing for Greg?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Gosh? The next big thing for me? Well, I also
trained dogs, So I've got a little hungarian Pumi who's
very talented, and so my hopes for him is to
make world team. Yes, so we're in training for that.
So that's probably the next big thing. And also, you know, family,
(15:50):
I'm adopted and so both my parents who raised me
are no longer on this plane. But I my biological father,
you know, I've struck up a relationship with that, and
so learning family, re learning what family means to me.
It's it's really really fascinating. You know, got a brother
(16:14):
and two sisters in Hawaii, and so yeah, more discovery
about family beautiful.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's incredible. It's just such an honor to talk to
you for even a short amount of time. We could
do it for four more hours, but I know you
got some lucky students to go talk to. So thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Greg.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I mean, if we might say, you're definitely a fighter,
and I mean just to see you out there still
inspiring is inspiring in its own right. So thank you
so much for giving us your time today.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Hopefully we can connect and face to face.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
I hope.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
So yeah, yeah, where are you guys?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Where are you?
Speaker 1 (16:53):
So? I'm in Los Angeles? Boone famously is in New York.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I'm in New York. But yes, but oh okay we
go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Okay, well yeah we'll connect. We'll connect, definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
Must absolutely sure.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Thanks so much for my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Well, Matt, that was just delightful. What a real honor
to talk to him, even through zoom. It kind of
just exudes. It comes through like technology is nothing. It's
like it just transcends.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
All it really, I mean, the top about the star quality,
I mean, it's really it's and it also seems like
we're going to be hanging out with him at some point,
so I just know he jams out in person.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Absolutely what an incredible human being, someone who I think
probably has like the right mindset about the Olympic Games
throughout the entire like sort of span of it, like
leading up to his games, his three Olympics, doing the
actual thing, and then in the sort of like post
(17:56):
Olympics life that a lot of these in Olympians lead.
I feel like he's set such a wonderful example.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Absolutely, I mean, and he has accomplished so much since
then and lived so much life since then. There was
a few things I wanted to talk to him about
what I didn't get to, such as having an iconic
Greek last name, but not being Greek yourself, because Louganis
that's not just a Greek last name, that is a
very very Greek last name and adopted. So I mean,
(18:23):
just the amount of people who probably come up to
him and say ya sas he probably it's probably a
lot of emotional overwhelmed sure, sure.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
And worst of all, ol of Tone's skin and so
of course people just like even visually just kind of
identify that with him.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
You couldn't have told me he was in Greek, right,
but now I'm telling you he's not.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
He's not. And you know, the thing that inspired him
to put his metals up for auction was Marie Condo,
So another w for Marie kind of influencing the original influencer,
not THEA but you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I mean talking about OG influencers. You know, famous COVID
influencer Fauci. Anthony Fauci has been coming into the mix
in the late eighties.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
I mean, one of the first people to get azet.
The fact that he was literally suffering through those eighty
eight games and he still wins gold pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
And to not call himself a fighter or not identify
as one that I'll tell you what that really is
right there, that's true humility. You can tell he really
feels in service not only to the people watching, but
to the people alongside him. And that was really inspiring
to to hear him talk about how it's only worth
winning if you're going up against the best, which I've
always agreed with. But you know it's you watch the
(19:44):
traders now and it's like they want to knock the
good people out so they can get to the end.
And that's not Olympics, no, correct.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Luganis would be terrible on the traders.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
He would not be good at the traders at all.
He'd be a terrible trader. He's too kind, he's too sweet,
and we just saw that firsthand. You guys, the Olympics
are underway. You can listen to our episodes which are
flying freely coming at you. Two guys, five rings us
the podcast. We thank you so much for listening as always, isn't.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
That right, bo, I'm so thankful and thank you for
speaking on my behalf and thank god it was the truth.
Follow the show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music,
or your favorite podcast platform, and watch and listen to
every moment of the twenty twenty four Parasalympic Games July
twenty sixth through August eleventh on NBC and Peacock and
(20:33):
for the first time ever, on the iHeartRadio app.
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