NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Alex Righi '09 had many outstanding performances during his time with the Yale men's swimming program. Ask him, though, about his favorite memory and the response is unique to Yale.
 
At the final meet of his collegiate career – the 2009 NCAA Championship in College Station, Texas - Righi met former President George H.W. Bush '42 and his wife Barbara, who lived in the area. Bush, who captained the Yale baseball team to the College World Series during his time in New Haven, has always been a big supporter of Yale Athletics and was proud to meet a fellow Yalie.
 
"It was surreal," said Righi of the 45-minute meeting, which came before the finals on the last night of the meet. "I got to give the former President a Yale shirt and took a picture with him that I will always treasure. That was a very unique experience and had I not been a Yale swimmer it wouldn't have happened. The President and First Lady were wonderful and super generous with their time. I didn't swim as well as I wanted to that night, but there are worse things in the world than not posting the time you want but getting to spend part of an evening with the former President and First Lady."
 
There weren't too many occasions when Righi didn't swim well. He was a three-time All-American and a three-time recipient of the Moriarty Trophy as the swimmer of the meet at the Ivy League Championship. As a junior, he finished second in both the 50 and 100 freestyles at the NCAA Championship. In his final Ivy Championship, he received the Harold Ulen Trophy, which is awarded to the senior swimmer who has earned the most points over the course of his career at the league-wide meet. Righi came close to achieving the maximum number of points possible, winning 11 of 12 races in his four years of competition with just one second-place finish as a freshman. He was a four-time champion in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. On his graduation weekend, he was the recipient of the William Neely Mallory Award, the most prestigious athletic award given to a senior male at Yale.
 
Righi has been just as successful in his post-Yale career. He graduated from Northwestern Law School in 2014 and currently is a Senior Associate at Mayer Brown's Chicago office. He focuses his practice on representing financial institutions, investment funds and corporate borrowers in a variety of secured and unsecured finance transactions.
 
Righi, who still swims recreationally, nearly earned a spot on the 2008 United States Olympic team. At the Olympic Trials, in the semifinals of the 50 freestyle, he finished in a tie with Nathan Adrian, who swam at the University of California. The two then had a swim off, which Adrian won by a few hundredths of a second, and he went on to earn a spot on the team.
 
Following graduation, Righi seriously considered continuing to train in hopes of competing in the 2012 Olympics but instead elected to start his career in law.
 
"One of the biggest reasons I came to Yale was because I knew I wouldn't be a competitive swimmer for my entire life, and I wanted to make sure I got the education that I got," Righi said. "It obviously would have been an amazing experience if I made the [Olympic] team, but I don't regret my decision. It led me down a path where I ultimately met my wife and life is good."
 
Righi's experience swimming at Yale has been of great benefit to him later in life.
 
"Being a college athlete really demands quite a bit of a time commitment, dedication, singular focus on your sport, self improvement and making sure you are looking out for your teammates," he said. "A lot of employers view those attributes very positively."
 
Righi has remained an active supporter of the program, serving as a board member on the Yale Swimming Association. He follows the swimmers on Instagram and is very impressed with what he sees.
 
"It's amazing how mature and really dedicated the team seems now," he said.
 
Righi, who has been back to campus a few times since graduation, also stays in touch with Jim Henry, the Robert J.H. Kiphuth Coach of the men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
 
"I'm super proud of the organization for bringing [Jim] in," Righi said. "By all accounts, he has had tremendous success. He is an excellent coach, and I've been really impressed with the results. "Yale Swimming is in excellent hands."
 
Righi, who regularly keeps in contact with his former teammates, looks back fondly on his days at Yale.
 
"I am always thankful for my time at Yale and the atmosphere that the school has cultivated particularly within the Athletic Department," he said. "Yale Swimming was a great experience for me."