How did you get into open water swimming?
I played water polo in high school and college, and there was an event in 1982 that was a swim from the Huntington Beach Pier to the Seal Beach Pier. I ended up winning, and I didn’t realize it was a selection event to go to the world championships of long-distance swimming. So I went to England and ended up winning that.
You even served as a commentator for NBC during the Olympics, right?
Yeah, when open water swimming was accepted as an Olympic sport in 2008. I was one of the only people who had been writing about it, so they asked me. The sport really appeals to me because of the adventure aspect. The way the current flows, the tides, the wind, the sun—you never know how things will go.
Tell us about KAATSU Global.
In 2001, I was at the world championships in Japan, and I noticed these Japanese swimmers with bands around their arms. I asked about it and their head coach said, “Let me introduce you to Dr. (Yoshiaki) Sato—he’s the inventor.” It’s basically a way to engorge your limbs with blood, which leads to all kinds of physiological changes and benefits. We can use it on people who are paraplegic or comatose, and it increases muscle mass. It also works great for athletes.
Do you use it?
Of course! I even used it while recovering from a heart attack I had in 2002. I had traveled three times between LAX and Tokyo over 11 days, and my heart just gave out. I was at home, and my son, who was 17 at the time, gave me CPR until the paramedics arrived. Saved my life.
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