There has been no shortage of Gators in the Olympics over the last 20 years.
Brad Wilkerson (baseball), Dara Torres (swimming) and Abby Wambach (soccer) have all brought home gold medals.
Though UF has produced Olympians in a myriad of different sports, a Gator basketball player has never competed on the Olympic level.
On June 21, guard Nick Calathes took the first step in becoming one when he boarded a plane to Greece.
Calathes' great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Greece, and the Florida native will travel to Athens with his grandfather, John, in mind.
"My Grandpa, he meant a lot to me," Calathes said. "He passed away last year, and I just want to do it for him and his name."
The 6-foot 6-inch combo guard said that team officials told him he has a good chance to make the Olympic team, which will compete in qualifying events next month in Athens. Greece already has a star point guard in Theodoros Papaloukas, so if Calathes is to make the team, it will likely be as the backup.
If he is unable to make the team, he plans on staying in Greece to compete with the under-21 national team over the summer.
Playing overseas is nothing new for Calathes, who played in France, where he faced a similar language barrier, last summer.
"They didn't speak that much English in France," he said. "I hope they speak English there. I don't speak the Greek language. I hope somebody speaks English."
Calathes is able to compete for Greece based on his family lineage. Kosta Koufos, who played for Ohio State last year and was drafted by the Utah Jazz, is an Ohio native who will also be trying out for the team as a result of heritage.
Americans playing for other countries has become a hotly debated issue lately, especially after Becky Hammon announced she would join the Russian women's basketball team for the upcoming games.
USA coach Anne Donovan called Hammon unpatriotic for her decision.
Calathes says he, along with UF coach Billy Donovan, sees the Olympics as an opportunity to represent his family and develop his game. He listed strength, defense and mid-range as areas he's trying to improve.
As for the Greek lifestyle, he went to a familiar face for what to expect.
"(Lee Humphrey) said he loved it," Calathes said. "I asked him how the food is going to be, and you know Hump. Hump loves food, and he said it's great food."
