Gold Medal Mel Stewart

January 31, 2009

Melvin Monroe Stewart was one of the greatest butterfly swimmers in the late 80s and early 90's and held the 200m fly world record from January 1991 through June of 1995. He won gold and silver at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Australia and also earned 2 gold and 1 silver medal at the 1992 Olympics Games in Barcelona, Spain. The man known as Gold Medal Mel spoke to slowtwitch.

ST: Mel, can you share with us what you are up to these days in terms of a job?

Mel: I work for the USA Swimming Foundation raising money for the “learn to swim” programs in minority communities. It’s hard work. There’s only a staff of 4, including the Foundation head, Chris LaBianco, but it’s very rewarding. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m also a social-networker. That’s how most people know me these days. I essentially promote swimming in short emails, blogs, vlogs, twitters, etc., 4 or 5 times every day.

ST: Last summer you were actually reporting from Beijing, but it didn’t quite go as you had planned. Can you elaborate?

Mel: My social-networking ran into a snag with NBC’s production. I was shooting reactions from the stands, interviewing Olympians sitting all around me, really great stuff. NBC blocked me. I don’t blame them. I was pretty aggressive in my coverage. It was, how should I say extremely comprehensive.

ST: Couldn't big guys like Lochte and Lezak protect you from the NBC goons?

Mel: No. Swimmers are lovers. They practice nonviolence… mostly. Aussies are the only exception I know of.

ST: Which swimming event were you most excited to see in Beijing?

Mel: 4×100 free relay, hands down, no doubt. However, I thought Phelps’ 200 free was a perfect race, especially considering his bronze back in 2004. You could tell he made a decision to drill-down and own it. I liked seeing Lochte go 1.53 in the 200 back too. That was astounding!

ST: Did you have a chance to personally try out the pool at the Cube?

Mel: No…and I’m bitter about it.

ST: What do you attribute all the swimming records to in Beijing?

Mel: Talent, technology, and excitement. Some might think it was a bad mix, but I like to think the sun, moon and stars aligned for swimming in general.

ST: Talking about technology, what do you think about the new generation of swimskins from companies like Speedo, blueseventy and TYR?

Mel: I've only worn a LZR. I felt like a bullet in the water. I loved how I had to tweak my body-position in the water to make the most of the suit. I buried my head on freestyle, and it felt like my rear-end and hips were up on top of the water, felt like swimming down stream.

ST: Do you think these suits are altering the history of swimming? There has been a cry out by some folks to ban them.

Mel: I know a lot of coaches hate them. On deck at USA Swimming Grand Prix competitions this past year, they bent my ear about it. Many are high profile, under contract with Speedo. I think the suits are a concern, but I can't see FINA reversing any rulings. Whatever your opinion, swimming in general has benefited from the attention 108 world records has brought to the sport. I think FINA will set the bar on technology and guard it now. I hope this encourages every other swimming apparel company to remain in the market.

ST: Looking back, which of your achievements do you cherish the most?

Mel: 200 Fly, world champs 1991 in Perth, Australia. Michael Gross, The Albatross, haunted me for two years after my loss in 1988 at the Olympics. Coming from behind and beating him and retiring him, that felt good. I got my mojo back.

ST: How much swimming do you do these days?

Mel: 1500 four or five times a week. Some weeks I go 2,500, but that’s the exception. I don’t have the time…

ST: Please describe a harder training session for us.

Mel: Right now, for me, 500 warm up, then 500 dolphin kick on my back hyper-extended. 10×50 descending on the 1:30 to an out-all sprint. I try to go 24 low in a 50 yard fly at the end. I don’t some days, so I do an 11th 50, a bonus 50 I call it, from the blocks to pop a 24 low.

ST: Do you follow any other sports?

Mel: No. Swimming is the only sport. Wait, I do follow sports if swimming is a part of it, but only because friends are participating. So I have some serious appreciation beyond traditional swimming competition.

ST: You said you liked sports that have swimming in it. What are your thoughts about triathlon?

Mel: I've done several triathlons, and probably would've taken up the sport if my cycling were better. I can't ride. My running's passable. (At one time I could go a 4:30 in a mile.) I think triathletes are the best specimens of athletes period.

ST: Can you share with us some of your food likes and dislikes?

Mel: I eat a lot of deep green veggies, with olive oil and sea salt. I eat red meat about once a week. I’m within 15 lbs of my fighting weight. It’s sort of shifted around some. Maybe I’m 25 lbs fatter because I’ve lost muscle mass, but I’d rather not think about it too much, so long as I can go 24 low in the 50 yard fly in practice.

ST: What about music? What do you listen too?

Mel: I listen to my wife’s iPod. We have the same taste. Unfortunately I was raised in a strict evangelical family. Rock music was a sin. I had to sneak to listen to music. I’m sadly uneducated about musicians’ names, titles of songs. I’m in therapy about it, working through it. 😉

ST: What was the last book you read?

Mel: Outliers, but I’ve wanted to read the THE KISS forever, by Kathryn Harrison. If you read memoirs, she writes beautifully. It’s been sitting on my nightstand for months now. Since I started social-networking, I haven’t read much at all. It’s depressing really. I used to read 4 or 5 books a month.

ST: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Mel: In a mid-sized town, family-friendly, with my wife and daughter, writing no more than 50 hours a week with a cushy 3-book deal through Little Brown.

ST: Is there anything else we should know about you?

Mel: I believe in aliens. I have way too much back hair, ear hair, and all around the neck hair. I believe in a low-low-low-sugar diet. My father was the assistant to Jim Bakker, the head of PTL/Heritage USA, a Christian Talk Show turned 24-hour Christian Network turned Christian City (until Bakker went to prison). I also want to do a talk show, like Jim Bakker, but for Olympians. (I’ve wanted to since I was a small child, growing up watching Jim Bakker do his talk show.) I think swimming needs a pro-series. (If bull-riders can get a pro-series on TV, we can!). I think Ian Thorpe, while incredibly great, was overrated. I think Michael Phelps is under-rated, despite the overwhelming fame and 8 gold medals. (In sum, Phelps could go faster!) I’m a scorpio. My favorite color is green, but I don’t like to wear green, just look at it. I especially like British Racing Green. I love-love-love mashed sweet potatoes, but hate answering that question because I’ve never been 100% sure about the spelling of the word potatoes and fear a VP Quayle back-lash… How’s that? Peace-out!

Follow Mel Monroe Stewart here: goldmedalmel.typepad.com