Beyond The Lane Lines: Seto’s A Dad, Schooling Snags More Sponsorships

Get your news fix on happenings outside the pool with the latest ‘Beyond the Lane Lines.’  With each edition, we collect personal stories, little known facts and general items of interest from athletes around the world in their non-aquatic habitats, helping us get to know them for more than just an event ranking or time on a board. Read on and learn something new this week.

#1 – Olympic Medalist Brent Hayden Holds Photography Exhibition

Winning an Olympic 100m freestyle bronze medal in 2012 isn’t Canadian Brent Hayden‘s only talent. After retiring from swimming after representing his nation at 3 Olympics, the now 34-year-old is venturing into the world of photography, with his exhibition entitled “Time in Frames” on display at the Mission Arts Council in British Columbia through July 9th.

“There is a moment just before the referee blows his whistle, while the crowd is going crazy, I stare down my lane towards the wall at the other end. The noise of the crowd is drowned out by the sound of my own breath and heartbeat. For a moment, my world is still, this is where I feel the most alive,” Hayden wrote about his photography inspiration. “My goal is to capture this moment in my photography. When you look into my images, I hope you can hear your own heart beating.”

For more information, visit missionartscouncil.ca.

#2 – American Olympian Amanda Weir Returns To Her Roots

3-time Olympian Amanda Weir is returning to her home neighborhood club swim for the first time since 2012. Named ‘honorary coach’ for the Mighty Marlins at Flowers Crossing, Weir is inspiring the young athletes with her experience and wisdom.

Says Weir of her honorary coaching highlights thus far,“It’s so fun to see that not too much has changed. The kids are all having a blast, they’re all eating pizza and nachos in between races. They’re swimming for the right reasons. They’re here with their friends, getting introduced to the sport and just having fun. I love it.”

#3 – Japanese Olympic 400m IM Bronze Medalist Daiya Seto Is A New Dad

We announced in our March 2017 edition of ‘Beyond the Lane Lines’ that Japanese Olympic and World Championship medalist Daiya Seto married 24-year-old Japanese diver Yuka Mabuchi. Now a little over a year later, the couple welcomed their first child into the world. Per Seto’s social media accounts, Mabuchi gave birth to a healthy little girl on Tuesday, June 26th. An adorable photo was also included in their announcement.

Seto will be competing at this summer’s Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, Japan. No word yet if this newborn will be the next Boomer, on the sidelines with muffling headphones!

ご報告

6月26日12時14分に3968gの元気な女の子が産まれました。
産まれて来てくれた娘と頑張ってくれた優佳に感謝です🙏
パパ頑張ります！！

— 瀬戸大也 (@daiya_seto) June 26, 2018

#4 – Dawn Fraser Earns Australia’s Highest Order

8-time Olympic medalist Dawn Fraser of Australia has earned a Companion of the Order of Australia this week on the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Winning gold medals at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games, Fraser has been a mainstay in Australia’s swimming community ever since. In 1999 she was named ‘World’s Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion’ by the International Olympic Committee, and was also named ‘Australia’s Greatest Female Athlete’ in 2013.

Now at age 81, Fraser acts as patron to almost 50 Australian organizations.

#5 – Joseph Schooling Snags Another Sponsorship

TAG Heuer, the Swiss luxury company that designs and manufactures time pieces, eyewear and fashion accessories, has named Joseph Schooling as its newest ‘Friend of the Brand.’ 23-year-old Schooling became Singapore’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist when he took the 100m fly gold in Rio in 2016.

Says the former Texas Longhorn of this new partnership, “I’m deeply honored to be appointed a Friend of TAG Heuer. As a professional athlete, I face many different types of situations, some of which pushes me into a corner. But only the strongest succeed. That’s why I live by and resonate with the philosophy of #DONTCRACKUNDERPRESSURE, which is TAG Heuer’s tagline. Through this partnership, I hope TAG Heuer and I can encourage and inspire the younger generation to beat all odds, overcome challenges and scale greater heights,” said Schooling.

On the appointment of Schooling, Ms Amelia Sillard, Vice-President of TAG Heuer, South-East Asia said, “TAG Heuer is very proud to welcome Joseph Schooling to join our family of athletes. We saw how Joseph’s story has inspired many youths to work hard and pursue their dreams. Through him, I can see TAG Heuer connecting with the millennials and the younger generations, communicating the brand’s Avant-Garde spirit—a philosophy of doing things that pushes us to innovate, to be disruptive, and to take risks. It is a new interpretation of Don’t Crack Under Pressure which, I hope, will inspire the youths of today.”

Since turning professional after this year’s NCAA Championships, Schooling has already scored sponsorships with Speedo, Hugo Boss, Yakult, and DBS Bank.