Posted: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:09 AM - 12,241 Readers

By: Jason Devaney

We recently caught up with Eric Shanteau, one of the top breaststrokers on the the U.S. men's team. See what he thinks of his 2010 season thus far, how it feels to be a cancer survivor and who he sees as his biggest competition at the upcoming U.S. and Pan-Pacific Championships.

How do you feel heading into Nationals and Pan-Pacs?
This is the best position I have ever been in heading to a nationals. My training and fitness levels are at the highest they have ever been. I have been at my in-season personal best times on a very consistent basis, which is a great confidence booster. Also, having Arena supporting me puts my mind at ease that I am in the best and fastest equipment available. The REVO is an excellent suit that provides the right combination of compression and maneuverability.

What have you been up to this year? How's training going?
This year has been a good mix of old training methods as well as some new ones. The new ones mainly consist of different dryland exercises that concentrate on core strength. I have incorporated the new exercises into my traditional weightlifting routine and have seen increases in my overall strength.

I have been pretty active outside of the pool as well. Earlier this year Aaron Peirsol and I got a Mastercraft X10. It is a great boat to wakeboard and wakesurf behind, so we have been spending a lot of time out on Lake Austin. It has definitely been a nice getaway from swimming.

Talk about the 2009 Worlds in Rome, where you won gold but also lost the 200m breaststroke final by 0.01 seconds.
The 200 breaststroke final was a draining race, to say the least. On one hand I put up one of the best races of my life, but on the other being out-touched by 0.01 seconds for the gold was heartbreaking. However, this is the nature of swimming. Races often come down to the finish and for as many times as I have been out-touched, I have also beaten people at the wall by the slimmest of margins. To be able to come back two days after the 200 and actually win gold [in the 400m medley relay] and break the world record was incredible and relieving at the same time.

I see that your health is still great. Talk about what it's been like the past year.
I am coming up on two years of being cancer free, which is a huge milestone for testicular cancer survivors. At this point chances of a recurrence are very slim, however I still keep my fingers crossed with every round of testing. This second year of survivorship has really been about taking ownership of my new identity and perspective on life.

Your story has inspired a lot of people. How does it feel to be an ambassador for your cause?
I am very proud to call myself a cancer survivor and an ambassador in the fight against cancer. Being involved with LIVESTRONG has provided me with a platform to raise awareness. Awareness is one of the biggest weapons we have when it comes to cancer, and I want to spread the word as much as I can.

If you had to choose one event to swim, would it be the 100m or 200m breast?
I am really not a fan of the 100. It is too short and has no room for error. My stroke and racing style is much more suited for the 200. I am a back-half swimmer that has a very long stoke. I am not built for sprinting and don't have a whole lot of fast twitch explosive power. The 200 is just more natural for me.

Who do you see as your toughest competition at Nationals and Pan-Pacs?
In terms of nationals, some of my tougher competitors will be Mark Gangloff and Scott Spann. These guys are great swimmers and extremely tough competitors. At Pan Pacs my toughest competitors will definitely come from Australia and Japan. The Australian duo of Brenton Rickard and Christian Sprenger holds the 100 and 200 breaststroke world records, respectively. Kosuke Kitajima from Japan is the best breaststroke in history. Any time he is in a race, people are watching him, and you have to bring your A game.

*  Story Contributed by: Jason Devaney