Access to Media

Amelia Stasky

On May 6, 2011, 9-time Olympic gold-medalist Mark Spitz traveled to West Springfield to shoot a commercial for California-based company, Freedom Tubz, with local film producer Chris Thibault of Teebo Films. The commercial was organized by Access To Media, a full-service advertising agency located in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Spitz was able to take some time out of his busy schedule that day to talk to Access To Media about life after his 1972 Olympic performance and how his experiences helped prepare him for a different kind of life. By the age of 17, Spitz was a world record holder, a rare feat that was the result of single-minded focus.“You learn to be extremely disciplined,” Spitz said. As an Olympic athlete, he explained, one becomes “so focused it’s like having blinders on, you can’t see much other than training and competing.”

He described it as a, “muffled response,” and that a “veil gets lifted after competition.” He remembers thinking, “Wow, this is one grandiose event.”Spitz explained that it has caused him to compartmentalize his life. This was evident as the interview was going on. As the hustle and bustle of the commercial shoot surrounded Spitz, his one focus was the interview.

He went into further detail about how this compartmentalization has always been a part of his life. After his Olympic performance, he went to school for pre-med and eventually dental school. During this time he was still swimming. He explained that he also had a single-minded focus towards studying and academics. He didn’t think about swimming or his girlfriend and vice versa.

When I asked Spitz about how he has changed since those years, he responded, “Life as an athlete is fast track. When you’re younger there’s always another tomorrow. There’s always another competition.” He went on to clarify that now there is no pressure from competition, but he still has the ability to maintain the same kind of focus.

Spitz also said that his attitude changed as well, the feeling that there is always another tomorrow disappeared. He admitted that after he left the competitive swimming world he didn’t do a thing for 17 years. The lack of regimentation and newfound freedom gave him a “vicarious thrill.”

He explained that it is very easy for an athlete to become malaise and begin to procrastinate when this feeling disappears. He believes that procrastination is just the lack of commitment to the possibility of failure. “I took it as a positive. Everyday was one less day that I had to train, the load got lighter,” Spitz said.

He went on to say, “We always have options, there is always another deal. It’s the journey that you’ve made.”For more information about full service advertising agency, Access To Media, please visit www.accesstomedia.com or contact VP of Sales and Marketing, Liz Jusko at 413-206-0702.