RIGHT TWO PHOTOS : JEFF CABLE / USA WATER POLO |
course , I love surfing there in the winter and 54th Street year-round .”
Gilchrist , who lives on the peninsula , says her go-to local dining spots are Alta Coffee , Al Cappuccino coffee house , Bear Flag Fish Co ., Ho Sum Bistro , Buddha ’ s Favorite for sushi , Carnitas La Villa and The Cannery .
Musselman says she currently lives with her husband in Costa Mesa , not far from all of her favorite places she went while growing up .
“ I am known to be a Hillstone restaurant foodie ,” she shares . “ I celebrate every birthday , sports success and anniversary at R & D Kitchen . I have gotten my husband more hooked on it and my family absolutely loves all the memories we make there .”
Musselman adds that she loves Newport because “ it has been the birthplace of my passion in sports and love for the ocean ,” plus it ’ s a comfort also having her church and family nearby . “ Newport has been a supportive community for my sport and Olympic dreams ,” she says . “… It is also where I married my husband and that memory will always hold a special place in my heart forever .”
DIVING DEEPER So what do these water polo players enjoy doing in their little free time ?
When Gilchrist isn ’ t in the pool , she can often be found in a bigger body of water — surfing . She has competed in the past and plans to get back at
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Musselman and Gilchrist were part of the USA Water Polo team that won gold at the Olympics in 2016 and 2020 ( shown above ), which was actually held in 2021 due to the pandemic .
Left : USA Water Polo attacker Kaleigh Gilchrist ( at right with the ball ) in action against China ’ s team
it after the Olympics . World Surf League ranked her No . 51 in 2022 / 23 for the Women ’ s Qualifying Series and No . 39 the previous year .
“ Growing up as a tomboy on the peninsula , I did whatever my group of friends did ,” she says . “ When we were 8 , we started playing water polo and started surfing . I loved both sports and continued to excel . I ’ m stubborn and competitive and didn ’ t want to have to pick one or the other . My schedule in trying to be the best in the world at both sports was hard and most people thought I was crazy , but I wouldn ’ t change anything .
“ I do plan on competing after Paris and getting back to the surfing , which has been put on the back burner for too long . My favorite place to surf is home when the waves are good and all my friends are out . I also love Fiji and Indonesia . There are still a lot of spots on my bucket list .”
But , mostly , when she has a spare moment , Gilchrist likes to “ enjoy my family ; friends ; my 3-year-old corgi , Splash ; and home .”
For Musselman , reading and cooking are favorite pastimes . “ I have recently been enjoying fantasy books ,” she says . “ Our entire team has been invested in ‘ A Court of Thorns and Roses ’ and other series that help make travel trips go by easier . Olympic training is tough and so it ’ s nice to escape with a good book .
“ I [ also ] bake and cook all the time . I enjoy Italian food and Mexican food so my meals are
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mostly involving foods of that sort . Patrick and I are foodies , so we also love exploring new restaurants in Newport Beach all the time .”
Gilchrist also has an entrepreneurial side . She started a T-shirt company , I Miss South Central , referring to the area around her alma mater , USC . What started as an idea for a shirt to wear to homecoming herself turned into a business when the shirt received a big response from other alums .
“ It ’ s been a small side project that most times gets neglected , thanks to my schedule ,” she says , “ but I still love getting orders and seeing strangers wear my shirts at game days .”
Oh , and she ’ s planning her wedding with fiance Tom Gehret while juggling everything else . The ceremony is less than two weeks after the Olympics .
“ We have been engaged for nearly two years , so that has helped us manage the wedding planning along with Tom being super involved and the both of us being pretty organized people ,” she says , also giving kudos to her wedding planner , Tyler Speier . “ I knew I didn ’ t want to get married during this full-time training year . I wanted to focus on water polo , end that chapter of my life and start my new chapter with Tom .”
Their wedding date is Aug . 24 , in tribute to Kobe Bryant — his last Lakers jersey was No . 24 — who has been her biggest sports inspiration and became a mentor after her near-death incident .
While Gilchrist has a wedding coming up , Musselman just tied the knot in September . The newlywed met her now-husband at a friend ’ s wedding in January 2022 , then the couple got engaged last summer .
“ Patrick played water polo all his life , just like me ,” Musselman says . “ He grew up in Tustin , went to UCLA — won two NCAA championships — and has been into swimming in his post-collegiate career . He recently swam the English Channel before finding out about his diagnosis . He is truly a competitor and we have bonded over sports .”
In sports and in life , Musselman and Gilchrist have shown they are true contenders who don ’ t just sit on the sidelines . And all of Newport , no doubt , will be cheering them on during this summer ’ s Olympic Games . NBM
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NEWPORT BEACH MAGAZINE 45 |