NAC Masters: Getting to Know Oliver Agh

 

I am originally from Hungary.

 

In 1995 I came to the US for college and swam for five years at D-1 Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. After college I ended up staying in Boca; I worked for BellSouth for a few years, but couldn’t stay away from swimming and became an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at FAU. I also coached and ran the Boca Master’s Swim team for several years. Four years ago it was time to go back to the “real world”, and when a great job opportunity arose, I moved to Nashville.  I couldn’t stay away from the water for too long, and after a few unsuccessful attempts to swim on my own at a local Y, I found Ashley and the NAC Masters. 

 

Tell us about your swimming career?

 

I was born in Dunaújváros, a small city in Hungary, and started swimming when I was five years old. 
 

Since my brother was a swimmer already, it was a given I would do it too. As far back as I can remember I was in the water; I started swimming double workouts by the time I was six, so I never thought I’d do anything BUT swim.  By the time I was 11, I was already a pretty good backstroker, and ended up winning the age group nationals in the 100 back. I’ve always liked that stroke the most.  When I was 12, my brother (17) got moved up to the National Team in Budapest, so the whole family made the move to the capitol city. A year later I also got the chance to swim with the “big team” under the coaching of Tamas Szechy, alongside four Olympic Champions. (My brother made it to the 1988 Seoul Olympics and got his Masters at Arizona State University).

 

The main reason for coming to the U.S. was to keep swimming AND to go to a good University. In Hungary that was impossible to do; it was just too much of a commitment to do both at the same time.  I’ve been fortunate enough to represent Hungary at two Olympic Games  (1992 Barcelona, Spain and 1996 Atlanta, GA) as well as two European Championships (1993, 1995) a World Championships (1994) and two World University Games (1997, 1999).

 

In college I was a member of the first team in FAU's history to represent the school in the NCAA Division 1 Championships (1996 Austin, TX).

 

I’ve managed to do pretty well in Masters; in 2006 I became a Master’s All-American with the fastest time in the US in the 50 and 100 scm   backstroke.  However, one of the biggest honors was being inducted into the FAU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. I spent almost half my life at FAU, and I am grateful for the opportunities the school and my college coach and mentor, Steve Eckelkamp, gave me. 

Tell us about your life here in Nashville—where do you work? Your family?

 

I work for Cummins, a Global Company that designs, manufactures, sells, and services diesel and alternative fuel engines; we have 58K employees in 197 countries. My job is to oversee the Expatriate Payroll and Systems.

 

I have a wife and two daughters (6 and 8 years old) and we live in Mount Juliet.  My girls both swim; they picked up the love of water from me since we’re always around a pool, lake or ocean. We don’t push them too much and try to keep it all just for fun. 

 

Swimming with the NAC Masters has helped me get back into shape and just feel good; I really enjoy being part of a great team. I can’t imagine  not swimming; it has always been part of my life. I think I am addicted to the smell of chlorine.