By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam
Ryan Lochte is in a season of forward motion.
The 12-time Olympic medalist is coming off two pieces of positive news: his induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the announcement that he will join Missouri State as an assistant swimming coach. For Lochte, this next chapter is about learning, developing, and giving back to the sport that shaped his life.
Recently, Lochte delivered the graduation speech at American Renaissance Academy in Kapolei, Hawaii, speaking to a graduating class of 180 students. The school has a deep swimming connection: roughly 60 students are on the swim team.
Lochte’s speech, which appears here with permission, is funny, self-aware, and candid. He talks about ADHD, the grind of elite swimming, the influence of Coach Gregg Troy, public failure, identity after sport, and the brutal truth that no one really has life figured out.
Here is Ryan Lochte’s graduation speech in full
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Good evening everyone…
First off — congratulations, Class of 2026!
Seriously, look around for a second. You made it. Through exams, all-nighters, group projects where one person somehow did absolutely nothing, relationship drama, cafeteria food, stress, and probably at least three moments where you seriously considered dropping out and becoming an influencer instead.
But you’re here.
And that deserves a huge round of applause.
Now before I begin… I know some of you are probably wondering:
“How did Ryan Lochte end up giving a commencement speech?”
Honestly… same.
If you would’ve told younger me that one day I’d be standing on a stage giving life advice to graduates, I probably would’ve looked at you and said:
“Cool… but first I gotta make morning practice.”
Because for most of my life, my world was swimming.
Wake up at 4:30 a.m.
Jump in freezing cold water.
Swim for hours staring at a black line.
Eat about 9,000 calories.
Take a nap.
Swim again.
Repeat.
That was basically my personality for like 20 years.
And for those of you who never swam competitively… let me explain something:
Competitive swimmers are weird people.
We willingly wake up before sunrise to jump into cold water while normal people are sleeping peacefully in bed.
And we call that “fun.”
That’s not normal behavior.
But swimming gave me opportunities I never could’ve imagined.
I got to represent the United States.
Travel the world.
Win Olympic medals.
Break world records.
Meet incredible people.
Live out dreams I had as a little kid.
And I’m incredibly grateful for all of it.
But tonight, I don’t want to just talk to you about winning.
I want to talk to you about life.
Because if there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s this:
Nobody has it all figured out.
Not Olympians.
Not celebrities.
Not your professors.
Not your parents.
Not the people posting motivational quotes on Instagram like they suddenly became philosophers after one breakup.
Nobody.
We’re all figuring it out as we go.
And honestly? That’s okay.
When I was growing up, I wasn’t the perfect student.
Actually… school was tough for me.
I struggled with attention issues and ADHD, and there were definitely moments where people underestimated me.
Teachers sometimes thought I wasn’t focused.
People thought I was too hyper.
Too distracted.
Too different.
But swimming became the place where I felt confident.
The pool didn’t care if I learned differently.
It didn’t care if I was loud.
It didn’t care if I was unconventional.
It just cared if I showed up and worked hard.
And eventually I learned something important:
You do not have to fit somebody else’s mold to be successful.
I think a lot of people in this room need to hear that tonight.
Because the world constantly tells you who you’re supposed to be.
How you should look.
How fast you should succeed.
What your career should be.
What your life should look like by a certain age.
But the truth is — everybody’s path is different.
Some people peak in high school.
Some people peak in college.
Some people peak at 45 after opening a taco truck and finally finding happiness.
Life is unpredictable.
And honestly… that’s what makes it beautiful.
Now people usually see the glamorous side of sports.
The medals.
The interviews.
The celebrations.
The Olympic Village.
The cool entrances.
The national anthem.
What they don’t see is the grind behind it.
They don’t see the years of sacrifice.
Missing holidays.
Missing parties.
Missing normal teenage experiences.
They don’t see brutal practices where you’re so exhausted you can barely lift your arms.
And trust me, Coach Troy at the University of Florida had practices that felt like survival challenges.
I’m pretty sure some of those workouts violated human rights.
But those hard moments taught me discipline.
They taught me resilience.
And most importantly, they taught me that success is built in the moments nobody sees.
Everybody wants the medal.
Very few people want the process.
That applies to everything in life.
Everybody wants success.
But not everybody wants the early mornings.
The failures.
The repetition.
The patience.
The uncomfortable part.
But that uncomfortable part?
That’s where growth happens.
And trust me — failure is part of growth.
I know that better than most.
I’ve had incredible highs in my career…
And I’ve also had some very public lows.
Moments where I disappointed people.
Moments where I embarrassed myself.
Moments where the whole world seemed to have an opinion about me.
And let me tell you something…
It’s not easy making mistakes when millions of people are watching.
Social media can make you feel like your worst moment defines you forever.
But one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is this:
Your mistakes do not define you.
Your response does.
Do you learn from them?
Do you grow?
Do you become better?
Do you take accountability?
Because character is not built during perfect moments.
Character is built when things go wrong.
Anybody can look confident when life is easy.
Real strength shows up when life gets messy.
And if there’s one guarantee in life, it’s this:
At some point… life will humble you.
Maybe it’s failure.
Maybe it’s heartbreak.
Maybe it’s losing a job.
Maybe it’s uncertainty.
Maybe it’s realizing your college degree did not magically come with instructions for adulthood.
Which honestly feels like false advertising.
Nobody warns you that after graduation you suddenly become responsible for things like taxes, insurance, and figuring out what “investing” actually means.
One day you’re writing papers at 2 a.m.
The next day you’re excited because you found a good deal on paper towels at Costco.
That’s adulthood.
But here’s the good news:
You don’t have to have everything figured out immediately.
I think social media has created this pressure where everyone feels behind.
You see people getting married.
Buying houses.
Starting companies.
Traveling the world.
Posting “big announcements.”
Meanwhile you’re sitting there wondering if eating cereal for dinner three nights in a row counts as self-care.
Listen carefully:
There is no perfect timeline for life.
Some people discover their purpose early.
Some later.
Some reinvent themselves multiple times.
I’m still learning.
Still growing.
Still evolving.
And honestly, some of the things I value most today have nothing to do with swimming.
Being a father.
Being present.
Helping younger athletes.
Coaching.
Supporting people I love.
Building meaningful relationships.
Those things matter to me more now than medals.
Because eventually, achievements fade.
But impact lasts.
How you treat people lasts.
The love you give lasts.
The way you make people feel lasts.
And that’s something I wish I understood earlier in life.
Because for a long time, my identity was completely tied to performance.
Ryan Lochte the swimmer.
Ryan Lochte the Olympian.
Ryan Lochte the competitor.
But eventually every athlete faces the same terrifying question:
“Who am I without the sport?”
And honestly… that transition can be hard.
Because eventually the cheering quiets down.
The races end.
The spotlight moves on.
And you realize something important:
Your value is not based on applause.
It’s based on who you are when nobody’s watching.
That’s why I want all of you to build lives that are bigger than achievements.
Yes, chase greatness.
Yes, work hard.
Yes, dream big.
But also:
Be kind.
Be dependable.
Be humble.
Be present.
Be somebody people can trust.
Because success without character eventually feels empty.
And while we’re talking about success… let me say something important:
Do not let fear stop you from taking chances.
Some of the best things in my life happened when I took risks.
And some of the worst moments in my life still taught me valuable lessons.
Either way — I grew.
That’s life.
Growth rarely happens inside your comfort zone.
So apply for the job you think you’re underqualified for.
Start the business.
Move somewhere new.
Take the opportunity.
Introduce yourself.
Speak up.
Believe in yourself even before the results show up.
Because confidence doesn’t come from always winning.
Confidence comes from surviving hard things and realizing:
“I’ll be okay no matter what.”
Now before I finish, I want to thank a few people who shaped my life.
My parents — especially my dad — thank you for believing in me before anybody else did.
My coaches — especially Coach Troy — thank you for pushing me past limits I didn’t think I could handle.
Even though some of those workouts still haunt me emotionally.
My teammates — thank you for making me better every day.
And to everyone here tonight supporting a graduate — parents, family members, friends, mentors…
This moment belongs to you too.
Because nobody succeeds alone.
And graduates… never forget that.
Never forget the people who helped you become who you are.
Now Class of 2026…
As you leave here tonight, remember this:
Life is not about being perfect.
Trust me.
If perfection was required, I definitely would not be standing here giving this speech.
Life is about growth.
It’s about learning.
Failing.
Getting back up.
Laughing at yourself.
Loving people deeply.
Taking chances.
And continuing to evolve into the person you’re meant to become.
You are going to mess up sometimes.
You are going to doubt yourself sometimes.
You are going to face challenges you never expected.
But you are also capable of far more than you realize right now.
So dream big.
Work hard.
Stay humble.
Take risks.
Protect your peace.
Love your people.
And never stop believing in yourself — even during the moments when life feels uncertain.
Because some of the greatest chapters of your life haven’t even been written yet.
Congratulations, Class of 2026.
I’m proud of you.
Now go out there, make your mark on the world…
And if all else fails…
At least remember to swim fast.
Thank you everybody…
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