Ryan Lochte is looking to the future.
E! News recently caught up with the Olympic swimmer to chat about his new documentary In Deep With Ryan Lochte, which premieres on NBCUniversal's new streaming service Peacock July 15. During the candid chat, the 35-year-old sports star opened up about the Rio robbery scandal that hurt his reputation, how coronavirus has affected his training for the 2021 Tokyo games and life as a family man with two kids and a wife.
Check out our exclusive Q&A below.
E! News: How is In Deep With Ryan Lochte different than your 2013 E! reality series What Would Ryan Lochte Do?
Lochte: "This is a complete 180. I wasn't married, I didn't have kids back then. i was a party boy. I was just living life to the fullest, being care-free. This is going to be a complete different side than you guys have ever seen."
E! News: How did you feel about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic?
Lochte: "Going into 2020, this whole year, I was ready. I was seeing times in practice that I haven't seen since I was at my peak back in 2012, so I was ready. I'm in a definitely good place in my life outside of the sport and I was definitely ready. So when I heard it was postpone I was upset for about like a good two or three minutes and then I was like, 'You know what? I gotta see the positive side of this, because I get one more year of getting stronger. I'm like tweaking my technique, getting better. i'm making sure I'm just a better person all around. This is going to be even better for me. So this is a blessing."
E! News: How is training going today?
Lochte: "Actually really, really well. We have a pool, it's about 45 minutes away, it's a long course pool. I've been training every day. So I'm in probably better shape than a couple months ago."
E! News: You now have a son, Caiden, 3, and daughter, Liv, 1, with wife Kayla Rae Reid. How is it being a family man?
Lochte: "When I had my son, I got a bunch of dad books, but all those dads books, they don't do anything. It's all on your own. It's so much fun. Just like waking up every day and seeing my kids, it's just like I can't believe that me and my wife created these two beautiful children. I love it. It is hard at times because my son, he's three, he loves playing with daddy. Just loves playing with daddy. And after practice I just want to take a nap. So sometimes I'm able to take a nap, but sometimes I'm not, so that is hard. But I mean, it's all worth it."
E! News: How did the Rio robbery scandal change your life and what would it mean to you to compete in the 2021 Tokyo games?
Lochte: "Rio, it changed my life. It was I guess the best wake-up call I could have ever had. I mean, it was hard and I'm still trying to fight back from it, but i mean, it was a wake-up call. it was someone telling me wake up and smell the coffee and to be more mature and to start growing up. So that was a hard part. You know, making my next Olympics, it will be my fifth Olympic games and I want to get another medal. That means if I get one more medal I will go down in history as like the second most decorated swimmer of all time and that is something that I really want to do. It's something that is just a big goal of mine. So hopefully I'll get that chance."
Don't miss In Deep With Ryan Lochte streaming on Peacock July 15.
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family)