Leading up to the 2008 Olympics, Eric was diagnosed with testicular cancer and his father was diagnosed with lung cancer. In the midst of those huge challenges, Eric swam the fastest 50m breaststroke split in the history of the 200 IM and made the 2008 US Olympic Team in the 200m Breaststroke.

The 11-Time NCAA All-American at Auburn University became the first American to win both the 200 and 400 IM events at the World University Games following a disheartening finish at the 2004 Olympic Trials, where Eric placed third and narrowly missed making his first Olympic Team.

In July of 2007, Eric’s father was diagnosed with lung cancer and began chemotherapy treatments. Less than a year later, on June 19, 2008, Eric was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Still in pursuit of the dream he’d been working toward his whole life, Eric consulted several doctors, and after a series of medical tests with one week to go before the Trials, he was cleared to swim. He traveled to Omaha under the assumption that even if he made the team, he may never see Beijing. In a bittersweet victory Eric qualified for the Olympic Team and after another torturous round of testing and weighing his options with the risks; he chose to continue on with his dream of competing in the Olympics.