Background
Half of the swimming power couple whose swim meet engagement became a YouTube sensation (see husband Matt Grevers’ proposal here), Annie (Chandler) Grevers was born with athleticism in her blood. She grew up in San Antonio, TX with her father, a former NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons, her mother, and three football-loving brothers. Chandler began swimming at an early age, and attended Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio. Chandler was a letter-winner all four years and was team captain during her senior season. She was also a three-time state champion in the 100yd breaststroke and currently holds the high school state record in the event.
NCAA Career
She enrolled at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she immediately became a contributor to the swim team’s success. As a freshman, Chandler helped her teammates to an NCAA victory in the 200yd medley relay and a second place finish in the 400yd medley relay (she swam the breaststroke leg in both events). She also secured second place in the 100yd breaststroke, demonstrating her individual potential. By the end of her sophomore season, she was a member of an NCAA championship team. The Arizona women won their first team title in 2008, with Chandler contributing to victories in both medley relays and finishing third and eighth in the 100yd and 200yd breaststroke events, respectively.
She remained a strong competitor in the breaststroke events and medley relays, and during her senior season she won a long-awaited individual NCAA title in the 100yd breaststroke. Chandler, a Wildcats team captain, set the NCAA record in the event and also finished third in the 200yd breaststroke. Chandler was named the Pac-10 Woman of the Year in 2011 and is an 10-time NCAA All-American. She graduated with a degree in journalism in 2011 and was recognized for her work on the Tombstone Epitaph, Arizona’s biweekly newspaper and later published in Swimming World Magazine.
National and International Competition
Chandler competed at U.S. Nationals in 2007 (7th, 100m breaststroke; 11th, 200m breaststroke) and 2010 (1st, 400m medley relay; 2nd, 100m breaststroke; 5th, 400m freestyle relay). In 2010, she placed 4th in the 50m breaststroke at the Pan Pacific Championships. Chandler was also a member and team captain at the 2011 World University Games, where she finished first in the 50m breaststroke and 2nd in the 400m medley relay.
She also qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials in both 2008 and 2012. Although she never qualified for an Olympic team, she was a strong competitor in the breaststroke events. She placed 5th in the 100m breaststroke and 17th in the 200m breaststroke in 2008, and again finished 5th in the 100m breaststroke (also 19th in the 50m freestyle) in 2012. Chandler retired from competitive swimming shortly after the 2012 trials, and currently lives in Tucson with her husband, Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers. She works for the Demont Family Swim School and Anthropologie, and also is active in the Gary Hall Jr.’s World Fit initiative.
Originally developed by Natalie Schumann.
