Welcome to our Focus on the Olympics articles that introduces you to our Olympic athletes and hopefuls that will be competing in Beijing this summer. Eric was the first American to break the 15 minute barrier in the 1500 Freestyle. Meet Eric Vendt Eric returned to the pool in April 2006 after retiring from competitive swimming after the 2004 Olympic Games. He spent four months backpacking in Europe after the 2004 Games before moving to New York, where he taught swimming lessons to beginners. His time spent working with kids gave him a new outlook on swimming. Eric majored in … Continue reading →