“He Kept Up With Michael”- Subway’s Marketing Officer Was Once Left Surprised After Michael Phelps Was Challenged by Famous Athlete

Michael Phelps is arguably the finest athlete in the illustrious history of the Olympics. The Baltimore native participated in four Olympic games and won 23 gold medals. Michael also set 39 world records during his competitive swimming career. Some of the best swimmers of his time, like Ryan Lochte, could not beat Phelps during his prime.

Fellow Olympian Apolo Ohno once met Phelps during an event organized by Subway. Ohno was an Olympic short-track speed skater. However, during the event, Apolo and Phelps swam together. When the two swam together, Apolo astonished Tony Pace, Subway’s marketing officer, with his skill inside the pool.

Michael Phelps vs. Apolo Ohno in New York

Starting in 2006, Subway introduced a marketing campaign where famous athletes would promote the brand. Subway called these athletes “Famous Fans,” and Michael Phelps is among their most popular. Four years after the campaign started, more athletes joined it. One of them was Apolo Ohno. Once, Apolo and Michael were in New York, which gave Subway an idea.

The company organized an event where Ohno would swim with Phelps. Subway’s marketing officer, Tony Pace, was present during the event. However, Tony couldn’t foresee what he would witness once the event started. Tony saw that Ohno, a speed skater, was quite a challenge for the Olympic swimming legend. “Frankly, Apolo was a much better swimmer than I thought he’d be.”, said Pace.

READ MORE: “It’s a Sign of Weakness”: An Elderly Man Once ‘Triggered’ Michael Phelps on Flight With a Silly Comment

“He kept up with Michael.”, said Tony. While it surprised Pace to see what transpired, he also said, “There’s that bond between fellow Olympians that they have.” Phelps and Ohno are still good friends.

When Subway organized the event, Apolo was doing a lot of cardio. Ohno was training to take part in the ING New York City Marathon. Since swimming also requires excellent lung capacity, maybe all the running helped the speed skater keep up with the ‘Baltimore Bullet’.

The two Olympic legends appeared in a documentary

The speed skating legend and the most decorated olympian appeared together in “The Weight of Gold”. The documentary aired on HBO in 2020 and highlighted the mental health issues plaguing elite athletes. Other than Phelps and Ohno, the documentary featured prominent athletes like Shaun White, Sasha Cohen, and others. Michael Phelps also co-produced the documentary.

Watch this story – Paige Spiranac Hailed Olympic Legend Michael Phelps for His Courageous Act in 2018

While Apolo may not be a swimmer, he is an elite athlete and an eight-time Olympic medalist. Also, the event wasn’t a competition between the Olympians, hence Phelps may not have given his 100%. Still, it’s astonishing that Ohno kept up with Phelps in his element.