5X at Stark’s next Featured Speaker is Anthony Ervin, a four-time Olympic swimming medalist, who claimed gold and the title of fastest person on the planet in 2000 in the 50m freestyle.
Sixteen years later, at age 35, he won in the same race at the Rio 2016 Games.
After winning his first Olympic gold, two World Championships and seven NCAA titles, Ervin retired at age 22 in 2003. He then spent several years traveling the world and spearheading tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia, before resuming his Olympic dreams. His memoir, “Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian”, was released in 2016.
Ervin will speak at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the 5X at Stark Conference Center.
Ervin is the third speaker in this year’s Featured Speakers Series lineup. He was preceded by actor Henry Winkler, best known for his role as the Fonz on “Happy Days”, and Shannon Huffman Polson, a U.S. Army veteran who was one of the first women to fly Apache combat helicopters.
The Featured Speakers Series, in its 27th year, is Kent State Stark’s gift to the community. It is a free event, open to the public, but tickets are required. For more information, visit www.kent.edu/stark/featured-speakers-series.