Aubrey Kragen (AK): When you were growing up and playing at SC, did you ever dream of going to the Olympics?
Kaleigh Gilchrist (KG): "For me, it was never a dream or anything, until I was about 12 years old. I found a school project not long ago, where I wrote "About the Author." I talked about myself, and I was like, 'I would love to go to USC on athletic scholarship and then play in the 2012, 2016 Olympic Games. So I found that not too long ago and got the chills ... My dad swam in '64 and '68 and was also a Trojan. My uncle swam in '48 and '42 and was a Trojan as well, so we joked that it was in the family."
AK: What was it like playing with and against other Trojans in the Olympics?
KG: "It's different because USC welcomes international players so much more than other colleges. For me it was tough because I had these insane relationships with Hannah Buckling, Jayde Appel and Anni Espar. Anni is arguably my favorite player I've ever played with --- luckily we played on opposite sides of the pool, so we didn't have to guard each other. We always threw in some smiles here and there and we always gave the good luck texts. It was special to have their support. Once the games start it's always competition but outside of that, we're friends."
AK: Outside of water polo, did you have the chance to meet up with the other Trojans in Rio?
KG: During the Opening and Closing ceremonies, I ran into them and got a couple pictures with fellow Trojans and always cheered them on. I remember watching a bunch of Steve Johnson's tennis matches and then Murphy Troy and Micah [Christensen] for volleyball. It was fun cheering each other on, for sure."
AK: How did your time at USC prepare you for the Olympics?
KG: "Luckily Kami Craig was a part of the team as well, so she had the same background as me. Just being coached by Jovan [Vavic], there's so much more that you learn than just water polo. You learn about being prepared and mentally tough and all those things that I could tell from going through this whole program that others didn't have. I think it just gave me and Kami an edge over other opponents and kept us competing."
AK: So what's it like having a gold medal?
KG: "It's pretty surreal, for sure, because we've been dreaming about this since we've been little kids ... I've been showing it around and everyone is pretty amazed by it and by how heavy it is --- apparently this is the heaviest medal."
AK: What were some of your favorite sights that you saw or cultural experiences in Rio?
KG: "We were lucky enough to go in November, and we did a lot of touristy things, so it was flushed out of our system before the Olympics. But in November, we saw El Cristo Redentor, and that's insane. It's one of the wonders of the world. We were able to get some team photos there, and it was cool in November to be able to dream of where we wanted to be in August.
AK: You're also a professional surfer. How is it possible for a person to be so good at two different sports? How do you fit that all into your day?
KG: "I'm obsessed with both sports, and I've always been a goal-setter. So it would first be like, 'I want to win a local contest, or I want to win a little tiny water polo tournament.' The older I got, and as I developed into a better athlete, the goals grew. I was like, 'I want to win CIF. I want to win NCAAs. I want to win an Olympic gold." And for surfing, it goes the same way: 'I want to win an NSSA championship. I want to go to Worlds and make the USA Team.' I was really all about goal-setting and attacking them, attacking my dreams, and I've been able to pursue them."
AK: Lastly, what's next for you?
KG: "Next goal is to go to Tokyo 2020. The goal is to go for surfing, but if not I want to be there no matter what. It might be water polo, but I'm committing to surfing for the next year, and I'll re-evaluate after that."
