|
Biography
The Golden Boy
“Aspiring to be a doctor and an Olympic swimmer, Ben Wildman-Tobriner is being pulled by two powerful desires: medical school and a medal.”
Karen Crouse – The New York Times
As a scholar student, a World Championship swimmer, a community activist and man of faith, many had long considered Ben Wildman-Tobriner a ‘golden boy’. The Olympic swimmer made the title official in Beijing this summer as he won an Olympic gold medal as part of the world record setting 400m freestyle preliminary relay for the United States.
Most world-class athletes live their whole lives training for the Olympic Games: Wildman-Tobriner only had 100 days. In December of 2007, just six months out from Olympic Team Trials, the National Champion swimmer tore his pectoral muscle lifting weights. The diagnosis is generally nine to 12 months, but for Wildman-Tobriner, that was not an option. Able to stroke with one arm with three and half months until Trials, he got back in the pool. Dr. Rick Eagleston, a physical therapist for Stanford University referred to Wildman-Tobriner as an “example to other people with similar problems on how to focus on the positive and focus on a goal.”
Wildman-Tobriner has used his experience from the injury to help motivate others to overcome obstacles. Stanford regularly uses him to address incoming students and parents because of his unique motivational message. His experiences in Beijing and his trials leading up to the Olympics give him inimitable and powerful speaking points.
Even with the significant injury, the goal was Olympic gold after cementing his place as one of the top young swimmers in the world. With his stunning victory in the 50-meter freestyle at the World Championships in March 2007, Ben Wildman-Tobriner gained recognition as a new threat in swimming’s most exciting race and the “Fastest Swimmer in the World.”
Athletic Ambassador
As an ambassador of the Olympic movement, Wildman-Tobriner is passionate in sharing his success story through speaking engagements and corporate partnerships. He works closely with Hilton Hotels and Speedo and regularly speaks on overcoming adversity, faith-based lifestyles and balancing his education, training and commitment to community.
Growing up in San Francisco as a member of the Boys and Girls Club, Wildman-Tobriner continuously gives back to the organization that gave him the opportunity for success as a young age. Working with Hilton, one of his dedicated sponsors, he helps raise money to upgrade the swimming facilities at his hometown pool. Wildman-Tobriner believes that every child, regardless of income, should have the opportunity to have a high-quality education and to learn to swim and compete.
Since earning Olympic gold, Wildman-Tobriner has enrolled in medical school at the University of California - San Francisco. A bio-mechanical engineer at Stanford University, he was a Rhodes Scholar finalist, an academic All-American and was awarded the high honor of the NCAA Top VIII, which is given to the eight best student athletes in the country.
Being raised Jewish, he attended Congregation Sherith Israel in northern San Francisco. Faith has been a major part of his life and has significantly impacted his swimming career. The gold medalist has found his Olympic success as an opportunity to share his ideals, which include hard-work, commitment to community and a faith-based lifestyle. Currently, he is working with Birthright Israel to develop a trip to Israel in hope to further his Jewish identity.
Wildman-Tobriner is an active photographer, with photos featured on NBC’s Olympic website during the Olympic Games. While the Olympic gold medalist enjoys photography, the camera’s feelings are mutual, as he models and was named one of the ‘hunks of the 2008 Olympics’ by Inside Edition.
|
