Heavy Medal

What will life be like for Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps after Beijing? Cheers and parades? His face on a Wheaties box? If his predecessor and former swimming buddy, three-time Olympic medalist and former teen phenom Nadia “Anita” Nall, is any indication, he’ll have a year or so of endorsements...

By Wynter Holden

August 28, 2008

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What will life be like for Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps after Beijing? Cheers and parades? His face on a Wheaties box? If his predecessor and former swimming buddy, three-time Olympic medalist and former teen phenom Nadia “Anita” Nall, is any indication, he’ll have a year or so of endorsements followed by a crashing fall into obscurity. In less than a decade, he’ll be making appearances at local libraries and talking about his glory days. Ouch.

Nall, now Anita Nall Richesson, discusses her career in the program “Life After Olympic Gold” from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, August 28, at Chandler Public Library, 22 South Delaware Street. So what exactly happened to the rising star? At 16 in Barcelona, Nall struck Olympic gold, but chronic fatigue syndrome and other health issues caused her to drop out of the 2000 Olympic trials and retire permanently. She landed in Phoenix, got a communications degree from ASU, and became a holistic health specialist-slash-certified life coach.

Michael Phelps, eat your Wheaties and take note.

Thu., Aug. 28, 11:30 a.m., 2008

Wynter Holden

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