May 26--Matt Grevers draws inspiration and competitive fire from his favorite movie, "Gladiator," -- and he doesn't do a half-bad Russell Crowe, the Olympic swimmer shows in a new video for Fandango.
"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?" Grevers yells with arms raised, imitating Crowe's famous line. Grever's video short is one of several interviews U.S. Olympians filmed for the online movie ticket seller's "I Love Movies" series.
The Lake Forest High School and Northwestern graduate estimates he has seen "Gladiator" 30 times.
"I remember exactly where I was when I first saw 'Gladiator.' I was on a train trip and I remember going into the movie theater after a really hard practice, and I didn't really know what to expect, and I came out just so motivated," he says. "I just wanted to be a gladiator, transfer that energy of being a gladiator into the pool."
Grevers, who won gold in 100-meter backstroke at the 2012 London Games, adds that movies help with pressure. "You forget about your anxieties, your fears. You get to be completely absorbed in someone else's journey," he said.
plthompson@tribpub.com
