CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE OF OUR Q&A WITH AZEVEDO!

RT: You have received some pretty big honors, you’ve been called the best water polo player in the world, but even more impressive might be that Men’s Journal called you the 7^th best athlete in the world (above Alex Rodriguez, Lance Armstrong, and Tiger Woods).  Does being put on that level make you look at some of these world-famous athletes differently? 

TA: As for the accolades I have received, I have been very honored by all of them and very proud to represent my sport.  Having been a professional athlete for so long, I have always been around other pro athletes, so I definitely feel I see them more as real people than the average person does.    I know first hand exactly how hard we all have to work, so this provides a level of respect that is very genuine.  

RT: Well the real sign that you’ve arrived might be the fact that you are now a logo.  How did that happen?  Did you get some input on what your logo looks like?

TA: Yes, I do have my own logo.  It was designed when I was working in conjunction with Finis Inc.  I personally sat down with the designer, Eric Quesada, and worked on creating a logo that I liked.  We produced a basic clothing line that did well, but I feel I need to be able to promote it more myself in the USA, and I haven’t had the time to do that.  So I still work with Finis on a smaller scale and hope to start up something bigger with them once my schedule clears up a little.  

RT: Obviously you don’t get to watch a lot of American TV, but on Saturdays during Pac-10 football games the conference runs a commercial that you prominently feature in- how did they approach you about that? 

TA: I was approached by someone I went to Stanford with who was trying to get water polo into the ad in order to represent the large popularity of our sport in the PAC 10.  I was really excited about this because it gives water polo some much deserved exposure.  

RT: Well on that note, you were part of the “Champions” benefit, which is run by Elton John to help AIDS research, in which you and a lot of other famous athletes posed nude.

TA: Yeah, the Elton John Foundation contacted me while I was in Italy and asked if I would be interested in supporting his AIDS charity. In my sport I don’t get this opportunity much, so I thought it would be a great time to show my support. The nudity started pretty awkward but toward the end I was running around without a problem.

RT: How often do you get to come back to Long Beach?

 TA: I come back to Long Beach every summer for about June through September.  But now that Terry Schroeder is our coach, we train up in Thousand Oaks instead of at the base at Los Alamitos.  So instead of staying in Long Beach the past two summers I have lived with a great host family up in Camarillo.  But I come home on weekends and still love to spend as much time as I can in the LB.  Schooner or Later, Joe Josts, Smooths, Long Beach Thai etc.  A lot of my best friends still live in the area so we make sure to hang out as much as possible during the summer, and then most of them come out to visit me sometime during the year. 

RT: What are your plans for your career- how long do you plan on playing?  Is there anywhere you prefer to play?

TA: I plan on going to the next two Olympics (London and Rio), so I will most likely continue to play professionally during that time. Right now that I’m in my prime, I will always go where the best team and the best money is, but towards the end I also hope to be able to choose more on the location and atmosphere.  

RT: Speaking of the Rio Olympics- that was your birthplace.  Did you have a preference for those Olympics–did you really want Chicago to get it or were you hoping Rio would get it?

TA: Obviously playing in what would be my 5th Olympic games at home would of been great. I missed the Atlanta Olympics by one and it looks like the next time the States host the Olympics I would have just retired. I was really looking forward to Chicago but I truly believe that Rio will do a great job. Not only will this be the first Olympics in South America but besides the World Cup two years prior it will be the biggest event ever held in Rio.

The city has so much charm and the people are amazing. Over the last couple years it has gotten some bad publicity but most of the violence and problems happen in the favelas, which is almost like another city. I am happy that if it wasn’t going to be Chicago it was going to be Rio. I still have family members living all over Brazil, but especially in Rio. Hopefully I can show them a second gold medal, the first being at the Pan American Games in 07. 

RT: What are your plans for after you’re done playing–is coaching an option?

TA: When I am finished overseas I would definitely like to move back to SoCal.  Coaching is in my blood, and I think I would enjoy it, but I’m not sure that will be my career choice.  I studied International Relations at Stanford and I love languages and traveling.  I also love speaking, so maybe pubic speaking could be an option, or just business in some form or the other.  But I always see myself doing something involving water polo— most likely in some way helping to promote and grow the sport after I am done playing.