Sandra Gal, left, is on the LPGA tour. ESPN photo
Sandra Gal and Ryan Lochte may not be two of the most recognizable former Gators in the ranks of professional athletes. If you saw either on the street, you might not look twice.
But Gal and Lochte have gotten quite a bit of, um, exposure lately after posing for ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue.”
Gal explained her thought process in an article about self-promotion of female athletes:
“Other magazines show anorexic women and celebrities like Paris Hilton. This is about showing off our athleticism and how fit we have to be to play at this level.”
Lochte, the mag said, was chosen for his good looks and toughness. His father told a story of a broken foot suffered by Ryan.
Ryan Lochte lives and trains in Gainesville, Fla.
“When Ryan set the 200-meter backstroke world record at the 2007 world championships, he did it with a broken foot,” Steve Lochte told the magazine. “He’d busted it skateboarding, then rebroke it jumping into the pool four days before the event. Still, he won gold in the 800 free relay and silver in the 100-meter backstroke, 200 IM and 400 IM. Every flip turn was excruiciating, but he never made a big deal about it.
Here is a closer look at the photos …
