Swimming's bad boy has a softer side after all!
Ryan Lochte secured his twelfth Olympic medal and first podium finish of the 2016 Rio Games in the 4x200 freestyle relay Tuesday night, and we think we might have just found his motivation. In a recent video shared on the swimmer's social media, Lochte's 95-year-old grandma had the honor of carrying a homemade paper torch during her nursing home's Olympics opening ceremony.
The athlete's biggest fan beams from ear to ear as she reps red, white and blue for the exciting festivities while awaiting her grandson's first event.
"My grandma is carrying the #olympictorch at her nursing home, representing #usa #95 #stilltrucking #NYC," Lochte wrote alongside the adorable footage.
And while one member of Lochte's family is rooting him on stateside, plenty of other Olympians' are lucky to have a little piece of home with them while in Brazil.
Gymnast Aly Raisman's parents became an Internet sensation with their stress-inducing reaction to watching their little girl compete on the uneven bars, and fellow teammate Laurie Hernandez's parents have been by her side every step of the way.
But as for Ryan, he'll need some extra loud cheering from Grandma Lochte as he takes on close friend-turned-rival Michael Phelps in the 200m individual medley later today.