The Most Fascinating Olympians off the Field
The Olympians in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games are some of the most fascinating people on the planet in their own right.
But what about off the field?
Those international sensations swim, play organized sports, balance and other athletic feats better than the rest of the globe's populace and get rightfully recognized as such.
What normally gets left untouched, though, is who those people are beyond the athletic accomplishments. Whether it's an interesting story, pursuits or something else, plenty of Olympians should stick in the minds of many well after the games have ended.
Let's take a look at the most fascinating Olympians off the field.
Ibtihaj Muhammad
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United States fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad continues to promote tolerance and women's rights on and off the field.
Muhammad made history during her loss to France's Cecilia Berder in the round of 16 in the women's individual saber event, becoming the first American athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab.
In fact, her life journey and message are so impactful she finished second only to Michael Phelps in the U.S. flag-bearer vote, according to David Wharton of the Los Angeles Times.
Off the field, Muhammad has made waves of headlines for her positive message and could go to some unexpected places as a result, as USA Today's Dan Wolken broke down:
"And now she has a following that could take her to interesting places, including perhaps the political arena. In an interview earlier this year with Time Magazine she called Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump “ignorant” for his proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States and said he “represents everything we aren’t.”
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Muhammad's impact goes well beyond the sporting realm. In fact, though she's made history and used the platform for incredible good, it pales in comparison to what could come next.
Anthony Ervin
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Anthony Ervin, as some will remember, was a superstar in the making.
Ervin won his first gold medal way back in 2000 at the ripe age of 19.
Now his is one of the most interesting comeback stories in the world.
A retiree at the age of 22 despite his Olympic success, Ervin battled many out-of-pool demons, which he captures in his autobiography Chasing Water. Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer chronicled some of the things the book covers:
"He joined a couple of different bands and tried to make it as a rock guitarist. He got deeply depressed and once tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of the medicine he uses to control his Tourette’s Syndrome. He once drove a motorcycle at 177 mph and given that was not surprisingly also involved in a near-death wreck on a motorcycle another time.
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More than anything, Ervin now serves as an inspiration. He's back at the Olympics and just won the second gold medal of his career thanks to the United States' triumph in the 100-meter freestyle relay.
It's an incredible, Hollywood-esque journey that is far from over.
Kohei Uchimura
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Kohei Uchimura is both a legend and a mystery.
Uchimura is one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. It's not too outlandish to call him the Phelps of his discipline, an owner of three gold medals over his Olympics career, including two this year in Rio thanks to triumphs in the men's individual all-around and men's team all-around events.
Not impressed? So far, Uchimura has a whopping 10 gold medals in World Championship events.
Just don't tell Uchimura he's a star. NBC Olympics' Nick Zaccardi provided an intriguing look into his personal life: "Uchimura is a man who rejects the hero worship and values his privacy. He is married with two daughters, but has chosen not to reveal the names of any of them to the public. There is no personal life section on his Wikipedia page."
It's not a major reveal, but it's beyond fascinating. One of the best ever in his field, Uchimura isn't out soaking up endorsements or going crazy on social media. He's going about his job in a quiet, historic fashion and going home to his private life.
It stinks that this sort of thing is rare, but hats off to Uchimura.
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Claressa Shields
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Claressa Shields, perhaps better known by her "T-Rex" nickname, is one of the best stories in Rio.
A gold medalist at the age of 17 thanks to her triumph in London back in 2012, Shields is the first U.S. boxer, male or female, with a chance to win back-to-back boxing golds.
Just as impressive is her journey here. T-Rex grew up in Flint, Michigan, which is currently in the headlines for the water crisis. During her childhood, she grew up in poverty and was sexually assaulted, as chronicled in an incredible write-up by Bleacher Report's Lars Anderson.
Shields found solace in the ring and is now one of the most talented fighters on the planet, an Olympian who won't change her image or forget the call to give back to where she came from.
"Flint needs some good news so every day, I carry Flint on my back," Shields said, according to MLive's Eric Woodyard. "When people ask me where I'm from, 'No, I'm not from Detroit. I'm from Flint.'"
In fact, Shields' past and bright future is so incredible that Universal Pictures bought the rights to her life story.
Vashti Cunningham
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While there's likely never a dull moment, it can't be easy having a legendary former NFL quarterback as a father during the Olympics.
Such is the case for Vashti Cunningham, whose father, Randall, threw for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns in the NFL while acting as a dual-threat player before the popularization of the trend these days.
Vashti herself is an incredible story. She's the youngest gold medalist ever in indoor high jump and inked a deal with Nike not long after the epic feat, a little while before qualifying for this year's Olympics.
Per a great write-up by CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, Vashti is a reserved person who peruses thrift shops, doesn't like hotel showers and spends her time off practicing photography.
A fascinating person in all regards, Vashti has embraced her name as few others could, and the journey has just begun.
Ryan Lochte
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How could someone not find a guy who filed a trademark for the word "Jeah" interesting?
That's Ryan Lochte, the platinum-blond in Rio and Phelps' friendly rival. He's got one gold and counting in Rio, a triumph during the men's 200-meter freestyle relay, giving him six gold medals on his career.
Lochte has been all over the place outside of the pool. He's been on various magazine covers, appeared on shows such as 30 Rock and even got the parody treatment on an edition of Saturday Night Live.
Unfortunately for Lochte, his own show, What Would Ryan Lochte Do? on E!, got cancelled after one season. A quick Google-images search touts him as the subject of many a meme, too.
Lochte is intriguing out of the pool nonetheless, as fans never know what could come next.
Gwen Jorgensen
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A former accountant gunning for gold in Rio always makes for a good story.
Now a former Ernst & Young accountant, Gwen Jorgensen has eyes on the top of the podium in the triathlon. She finished 38th in the 2012 Olympics thanks to a flat tire, but she hasn't let that stop her from attacking Rio with all she's got.
Per a write-up by Seth Rubinroit of NBC Olympics, Jorgensen put in 65 hours a week at her desk job while still training to chase her dream.
Things are a littler simpler now, per Rubinroit: "Jorgensen is a self-described foodie. During the season, she visits a new restaurant every week. During the offseason, she takes an 'Eatcation,' where she eats at a different restaurant for every meal with her husband, Pat Lemieux. She also enjoys a piece of dark chocolate after every meal."
It doesn't get much better than an inspiration like Jorgensen, who has gone from a typical job to a global one.
Nate Ebner
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A Super Bowl champion taking part in the Olympics writes itself.
Ebner is on loan from the New England Patriots this month as he helps the United States rugby team in the sevens competition. Though a reserve, he managed to score a try in Team USA's first-ever sevens Olympic victory, a win against the hosts Brazil.
Rugby sevens captain Madison Hughes summed up Ebner quite well, according to Boston.com's Henry McKenna: “He’s helped us create an even more professional environment with what we’re trying to do here.”
There's a certain overlap between rugby and American football that makes plenty of sense. The Patriots don't mind Ebner going out and playing for his country before bringing the experience back to the locker room.
Like many on the list, what comes next for Ebner, whether it's on a different field or something else, is what makes him so interesting.
Boris Berian
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Boris Berian is a lot like Jorgensen.
Berian might have a standing as one of the most dominant runners in Rio, but after his college career fizzled, he spent his time at one place: McDonald's.
No joke, Berian has gone from battling a lawsuit with Nike to living on a friend's couch and flipping burgers to competing for gold in the 800-meter sprint.
"Eighteen months ago he was a college dropout, working at McDonald's in Colorado Springs, sleeping on a friend's couch and wondering if he ever would become a world-class runner," Tim Bergsten of the Colorado Springs Independent wrote.
Indeed, Berian is an interesting case. Nike sued him after he inked a deal with New Balance (Nike later dropped it), and now he has a chance to become the first American to win a medal in the 800-meter event since 1992.
Should he accomplish the feat, Berian will become all the more interesting.
Jillion Potter
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One can't talk about fascinating off-field Olympians and justify leaving out Jillion Potter.
Potter isn't just the leader of the women's U.S. rugby sevens team—she's a cancer survivor and overcame a break of her C-5 vertebra in 2010.
In the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup, Potter played with a tumor in her mouth later revealed as Stage III synovial sarcoma. She combated the cancer with six cycles of chemotherapy.
Now she's in Rio.
Rubinroit captured her approach to everything quite well in another NBC Olympics piece.
"You learn to say what's next. Or what are the things I can control? And for me one of the things I controlled was how I reacted to the situation. And I just wanted to put my head down and say okay. This is going to be my battle. This is going to be my rugby game," Potter said.
The sky is the limit now for Potter, whose inspirational tale won't end when she leaves the Olympic rugby field.
It's just getting started.
Stats and information courtesy of Rio2016.com.
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