“They’re Gonna Know Who Kim Kardashian Is”: 12X Olympic Medalist Revealed What Led Him To Start His Own TV Show in 2013

Ryan Lochte is an American professional swimmer and is the second most decorated swimmer in the United States. To date, Lochte has won 12 Olympic medals, of which six are gold. Lochte’s seven individual medals at Olympics ranks him second in the record list, right below his arch-rival Michael Phelps.

Lochte specializes in various swimming types including – backstroke, individual medley, freestyle, and butterfly swimming. However, Lochte, who is known as the “infamous” swimmer, once revealed the reason behind starting his TV show.

Ryan Lochte wanted to be like the Kardashians?

In 2013, Lochte released his reality TV show named “What would Ryan Lochte do?” In this show, Lochte shared his preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympics and daily routines from his day-to-day life.

He also talked about creating a fashion line, doing media appearances, spending time with his family and friends, and his attempts to find a life partner. Before the reality show aired on TV, Ryan revealed his inspiration behind it. Talking to The Daily News in 2013, Lochte mentioned that he aimed to be as famous as model and superstar Kim Kardashian.

He said, “She started from nothing, and now look at her.” The legendary swimmer wanted people to know him not just for his swimming achievements, but also for his life off the pool. Giving the example of the world-famous Kardashian, Lochte confessed, “You ask anyone in this whole entire world and they’re gonna know who Kim Kardashian is. That’s what I want. I like it.”

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Lochte also revealed that people recognized him even before the show had premiered. He proudly stated, “I like walking down the street and people asking me for my autograph or my picture. They’re either fans of my swimming career or they’re excited about the show.”

Unfortunately, Lochte’s reality show did not do well with the audience. It was canceled after the first season, which only had eight episodes.

Ryan Lochte’s other television appearances

Before his “What would Ryan Lochte do?” Lochte had made his TV debut as an exaggerated version of himself in 30 Rock’s episode “Stride of Pride.”

In 2016, Lochte was one of the celebrities in Dancing with the Stars, a dance reality show. Professional dancer Cheryl Burke was his partner for the show. Three years later, in 2019, Lochte appeared in another reality show Celebrity Big Brother. In the same year, Lochte was featured with his wife Kayla in the ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ game show.

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Although Lochte didn’t gain stardom like the Kardashians, he is still one of the known athletes in the US.