Peter Vanderkaay discusses athletes' anxiety at Olympic trials

Michigan native and four-time Olympic medalist Peter Vanderkaay took a moment this week to discuss what's going through a competitor's mind during trials. 

Vanderkaay, who is from Rochester, won a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He won't be competing in Rio, but he knows what the pressure is like. 

For a lot of athletes it can be very stressful and they feel the anxiety of trying to make the Olympic team because you really only have that one shot, that one opportunity, and if you miss it you have to wait four more years and train hard for another four years to try and go back. So, there is a lot of anxiety around the races itself, and some people handle it better than others. I always try to think about it just like any other competition, not let the nerves get to me and just go out there and try my best because that's all I could do."

Vanderkaay is in Omaha to support his compatriots. 

"We're hoping everyone from Michigan does really well," he said. 

You can watch Tuesday night's swimming trials live here.