Go Away With ... Bob Bowman
Bob Bowman is the coach of the most famous swimmer in the world: Michael Phelps. While he won't confirm if Phelps will compete in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, he says the two enjoy competition of another kind: horseracing. "Michael and I own some horses (Water Cube, By a Hundredth)," says Bowman, who is based out of Baltimore. "These horses are amazing athletes in their own right." For more info on Bowman, follow his tweets on Twitter at https://twitter.com/coach_bowman.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. If I'm getting on a plane, I'd say Australia is my favorite destination. It's probably my favorite place that I've ever visited. It's worth the time to be on a plane for that many hours. And you get your frequent flyer miles. I find it almost relaxing to be on a plane for 12 hours with no one calling me. I'm a Sydney type of guy. It goes back to my early visit to the 2000 Olympics. There's so much to do there. I stay at the InterContinental Hotel right across from the Royal Botanical Gardens. I did get to go to Melbourne in 2007, which was very nice, too. I liked Brisbane and the Gold Coast, too. I've been fortunate that most of the swimming trips are two weeks long, and then I can tack on a few extra days for fun.
Q. Do you rest when you're on flights?
A. I usually can't sleep the whole time, so I catch up on movies or TV shows. I remember watching "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on one long flight and became addicted to the show.
Q. Where do you go for a quick weekend getaway?
A. I have a little house in Delaware that I love to go to on the weekends when I can squeeze it in. Rehoboth Beach is a great place to get away. It's about 2-1/2 hours from Baltimore, so it's an easy drive. A lot of Baltimore people go there. There are excellent restaurants that are like gourmet places. There's a lot of good shopping, if you like to do that.
Q. Michael is recognized wherever he goes. How about you?
A. Me? No. (Laughs) Except in Australia. They do recognize me there, which is surprising. I always like to tell this story. I was with Michael for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Michael was 15 at the time and had made (the 200-meter butterfly) finals. This was before anyone knew who he was. I went to a bank to exchange some money and happened to have a USA swimming shirt on. The teller asked, "Are you here for the Olympics?" I said, "Yes, I coach a kid named Michael Phelps." The teller not only knew who Michael was, but he knew his time for the butterfly.
Q. What's a fun Olympics souvenir?
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