CHASING WATER

Anthony Ervin--currently the fastest American swimmer--burst onto the scene at the 2000 Olympics where he won the Olympic gold in the 50 meter freestyle (he was only 19 at the time). Soon after, he auctioned off his gold medal on eBay, donated the proceeds to a tsunami relief fund, and disappeared from professional swimming for a decade.

Now, Ervin has returned to swimming in 2012 and by all indications he is poised once again to compete in the Olympics in 2016.

Anthony’s story is not your typical, run-of-the-mill athlete biography, and as he currently trains for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Akashic Books are delighted to bring this eye-opening memoir to swimming and sports fans everywhere, not to mention fans of engaging and ultimately inspirational memoirs.

Chasing Water is a fascinating look at professional swimming told from two perspectives— both Ervin’s insider perspective and fellow swimmer and sports journalist, Constantine Markides. In alternating chapters, the two reveal a side of professional sports that is rarely shown to those outside of this tightly knit, highly stressful world.

Anthony Ervin is an American Olympian who resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to pursue his career as a professional swimmer, speaker, and coach. As the oldest competitor at the 2014 national championships, he won the title in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. He is currently training for the 2016 Olympic team.
Constantine Markides is a New York–based swim trainer and former correspondent for the international daily newspaper Cyprus Mail. He has worked with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and was featured on CBC and NPR’s Marketplace. His essays and fiction have been published in various magazines and journals, including Rolling Stone. A high school state champion swimmer, Markides also swam for Columbia University.