Olympic gold medalist Garrett Weber-Gale inspires young people in Glendale: "It's possible to do whatever you want"



GLENDALE -- An Olympic gold medalist and former Nicolet High School star is now paving a new path -- a journey very different from the one that put him on the podium.

"I went to the Olympics. I competed in the 100 freestyle, the 50 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relay. I won two golds," Garrett Weber-Gale said.

Speaking to a group of Jewish teenage athletes, two-time Olympic gold medalist Garrett Weber-Gale shared his experiences as part of the Maccabi Games held in the Milwaukee area this summer.

Weber-Gale's competitive career as a swimmer is over.

"I don't have that fire in me in the same way that I did. I mean, there really was a huge inferno inside me for wanting to be the best in the world. That's a very self-focused and inward-focused journey," Weber-Gale said.

Now, his journey is taking a new direction.

"I want to be outward-facing and give a lot to other people so that they can be on their journey and help them achieve their dreams as well," Weber-Gale said.

That's what brought him to the Maccabi Games at his Alma Mater, Nicolet High School.

"It's nice to see he's been able to do it on a positive note. I mean, there's a lot of times that you'll get athletes that will develop but they won't use that to give back to some aspect of the community," Dwight Davis said.

Davis coached Weber-Gale when he was a student-athlete at Nicolet.

"He gives back to the community and he's come a long way. He's talking to girls now which is good. He's married," Davis said.

"Dwight Davis here at Nicolet I think is one of the greatest coaches. He was a huge part of my career. I'm always going to be learning from him. He really still is a great source of insight and feedback for me," Weber-Gale said.

That insight has helped the Olympic champion as he works with younger athletes looking to follow in his path.

"Part of my duty as having gone to the Olympics is to give back and try and help other athletes get to their dreams. Whether it's to go to the Maccabi Games or the World Championships or the Olympics, I have a duty to also pass that forward -- what I've learned, my enthusiasm, my experience, so that they can learn from me just as I learned from a lot of other people before me," Weber-Gale said.

"Knowing that the talent can come from anywhere, that we all have a chance to do, like, be great and everything like Garrett Weber-Gale has. It means a lot that we can all achieve what he has," Tomer Korabelnikov said.

16-year-old  Korabelnikov from Brookfield was among the teens taking everything in from Weber-Gale, as was 14-year-old Caitlyn Lansing of Mequon.

"It's amazing. Just being in the same place as an Olympian where, you know, they went through the same thing you did and swam in the same pool as you did -- it's a really cool experience, just to know they're there and they support you too," Lansing said.

"I just try and meet them where they are. Whether their dream is to compete here, it could be at the state meet. Some of them might be to go to art school. I just try and ask them what is your dream? And just help them realize that it's possible to do whatever you want," Weber-Gale said.

After graduating from Nicolet High School, Weber-Gale went to the University of Texas in Austin -- where he still lives today.

He started a company in the past called "Athletic Foodie" which makes snacks for athletes to eat before, during and after working out or competing.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Maccabi Games.