Phil Dalhausser isn’t your typical American athlete. For starters, he was actually born in Baden, Aargau, Switzerland to a German father and a Swiss mother. Moreover, Dalhausser didn’t start out playing volleyball, a sport that he and his volleyball partner, Todd Rogers, have come to dominate, until much later in life than a lot of his fellow Olympians. “I started playing volleyball when I was a senior in high school. I had a late start …. Once I got out there, I picked up the sport pretty easily. Everything came natural to me, and I became obsessed with the sport,” Dalhausser told Uinterview in an exclusive video interview.

Back at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Dalhausser and Rogers brought home the gold medal for Beach Volleyball in large part due to Dalhausser’s incredible play. Some, including Rogers, have been known to suggest that Dalhausser may be the best Beach Volleyball player in the world.

Dalhausser and Rogers came into the 2012 games in London with high expectations to bring back another gold medal, however they failed to medal this time around. Still, Dalhausser still took time to enjoy the whole experience. “It’s a pretty darn cool feeling,” Dalhausser said about representing his country in the Olympics.

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Q: What’s your workout regimen in preparation for the Olympics? - Uinterview User

During the off-season is when we do most of our training. It’s when we have the most time. When we are on the road, it’s kind of hard to get a couple of workouts in during the week. But [on] a regular day in the off-season I’ll get up and meet Todd at the beach around 9 o’clock, play till about noon, I’ll go home and eat some lunch. And in the afternoon I’ll hit the gym for a couple of hours, and after the gym I’ll stretch and roll and ice and I’ll get some dinner. That will be my day.

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Q: How did you first become interested in beach volleyball? - Uinterview User

I started playing volleyball when I was a senior in high school. I had a late start. My math teacher was the coach of the volleyball team and asked me to come out. My best buddy was on the team and pushed me towards volleyball as well. Once I got out there, I picked up the sport pretty easily. Everything came natural to me and I became obsessed with the sport.

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Q: What does it feel like to represent the USA in the 2012 Olympics? - Uinterview User

Obviously, it’s a huge honor. We get to do it just about every weekend in the summer during the tour — the Beach Volleyball World Tour — but obviously in the Olympics it’s a way bigger deal. It’s a pretty darn cool feeling.

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Q: Do you or your teammate have any rituals before a match? - Uinterview User

I wouldn’t say we have any rituals. We both basically do the same warm-up before every match and that kind of gets me into the mindset of, ‘Alright, it’s time to play.’ It helps me focus so I’ll be prepared for the match.