Gold medalist swimmer sits down with WSMV4 ahead of Paris Olympics

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The first time they dunked her head under at six months old, it was clear Missy Franklin loved the water, and by age nine it was pretty obvious she was going to go all the way.

“So, for the Beijing Olympic trials, I was 13 and I had just witnessed first-hand what it was like to watch someone make an Olympic team, and I was like, ‘I want that so bad,’” Franklin said.

She got it in 2012.

Franklin competed in seven events in London and won five Olympic medals, four of which were gold.

She won gold again four years later in Rio.

Some of the highlights include standing on the podium, showing her parents her metals for the first time, and getting tweeted at by none other than Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.

“And I can’t even remember what Justin Bieber said, but I ended up, he invited me to his concert in Denver after the Olympics, so that Fall or Spring I got to meet him and he gave me a whole tour of the arena. It was amazing,” said Franklin.

A shoulder injury forced Franklin into early retirement, but that’s not stopping her from using her Olympic skills.

Franklin now knows exactly how to let loose and prioritize with her little girl Caitlyn who recently got to take a dip in the pool during the Olympic trials.

Then there’s her podcast “Unfiltered Waters” where she and former Olympian Katie Hawk interview other athletes about their highs, lows and everything in between.

“Just having that deeper connection, we feel like, helps people get more emotionally invested into the athletes, into the sports, and into the Olympics themselves,” said Franklin.

Franklin will be heading to Paris where she’ll be working with the Olympic and Para-Olympic committee hosting events and providing content.

She hopes you will be among the millions watching and that after two weeks of celebrating hard work, athleticism, sportsmanship and love of country you and your families walk away feeling inspired.

“That is what the Olympics does, like that is the point of the Olympics. Our kids that are now watching it are going to find those athletes that they want to be when they grow up, and so that’s why it’s so important for the athletes that are there. They know that they are going to have an impact well beyond these two weeks. They are inspiring the next generation,” said Franklin.

The pool events will be happening from July 27th through August 4th.

The marathon swimming competitions will be happening in the Seine River on August 8th and 9th.

You can catch all of the action on WSMV4.

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