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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? What's it like to have the recognition of being an Olympian? Grant: It's really cool actually. Feels good to be representing the United States at this level and people think highly of you when you have that distinguished opportunity. When I was growing up I never met anyone who had any experience with the Olympics so just talking to friends, family or anyone else we meet they really have respect for that and I just think that's cool. Ross: We're obviously trying to represent the United States and everyone from there to the best of our abilities. It's a pretty special accomplishment and achievement to be considered an Olympian. We're all excited to get over there and race for America. At the same time it is another race, so we're trying to keep our heads straight and do our best to get on the podium. What's your favorite Badger memory? Grant: The game day atmosphere for football games was always fun. Not always going to the game but we'd have a hard practice in the morning and when we got home the game would be one and someone would be outside grilling and just hanging out. Ross: I really enjoyed Madison. It was a great experience and it definitely worked out for us both academically and athletically. I just really enjoyed, especially as a freshman and being able to walk on to a team and into a sport we knew nothing about, having a bunch of guys doing the same things and sharing similar experiences. You make a lot of friends right off the bat and rowing was a good way to stay active and stay outdoors. I was just proud to be a Badger, with football Saturday and all those weekends we always had a great time. I always look forward to going back to Madison. Thinking back to all of your achievements, what is your one career highlight? Grant: The one that really sticks out for me is the 2008 NCAA national championship that we won while we were at Wisconsin. It was a combination of a great year and our efforts – we were undefeated that year and we beat another undefeated team in the national championship grand final. So for me that was the biggest race. Ross: I'd have to say the national championship in 2008 for the Badgers. It was the first time Wisconsin had won a national championship in a decade. That was a huge feat, but it was also a culmination of all the hard work we've done with our team and through three years of rowing at Wisconsin. We were the underdogs so there definitely was some pride that went into defeating national powerhouse Washington. I think that had a lot more immediate significance because it was something we had been working towards for years and then to pull it off was a pretty awesome achievement so that will always be special to me. What is something someone would never know about your twin brother? Grant: There isn't anything crazy each of us does on our own. A lot of the things we do are similar but people joke that Ross is the evil twin. Other than that, there isn't anything outlandish about him or his personality. Ross: Most people try to distinguish the twins and say that there always has to be an evil twin, so whenever you ask someone they tend to think Grant is the evil one but I think overall I'm the one that gets branded the evil twin and he's the good twin. I must have a very sinister-looking face or something. What are your plans following the 2012 Summer Olympic Games? Grant: Probably just get organized – I think we're going to definitely relax for a little bit. It's been a long haul up to this point and when we get a little time off that'll be good. We'll get to see family and then I think we'll try to find a place to settle down for a while, get a part-time job and start rowing again. Ross: We'll stay for the second week of the Olympics and get a chance to take in the entire experience, so that'll be really cool. And then we'll come home and figure it out from there. We've really been gearing up for this one event so any plans after haven't really been set in concrete but we'll figure it out once we're back in the states. 42 » VARSITY JULY 26, 2012