Christine Magnuson was always known in NCAA circles, but she traded those this summer for the Olympic Rings. One of the best stories of the Games talks about her past, her future, and how it all fits together in this week's 20 Question Tuesday with special correspondent Bob Schaller

1 How amazing has this year been, and where's your Olympic medal right now??
Christine: This year has been an incredible experience and one that I probably could not have imagined two years ago. I thought my collegiate season was so amazing, and then to make the Olympic team and medal would have been too much to take in. I'm still taking it in! One of my medals is in my purse. So many people ask to see it, and I hate to disappoint them. The other is locked away with my family for future generations to enjoy.

2 What is the memory you cherish most from the Olympics?
Christine: My favorite memory from the games is finishing the 100 fly and looking up at my parents, sister and coach. They were so excited and proud. I'm really glad I was able to see their reactions and excitement.

3 Who was one or a couple of teammates who made impressions on you and why?
Christine: Natalie (Coughlin) made a big impression on me. We worked a lot together in training camp. She helped me with some of the details of my race, and I really have a lot of respect for her as a person.

4 Did you think you'd make the team going into trials? Why or why not?
Christine: I knew that I had a legitimate chance to make the team. I think anyone in the top 20 did. You never know what's going to happen at Trials, so you just have to believe that you can do it and try not to worry about everyone else.

5 What has this journey taught you about yourself?
Christine: This journey has taught me that I can compete with anyone. A couple of years ago, I would not have put myself on the same level as Natalie or Libby (Lenton). I've always known that I still have more in me and can get faster, but now I have more confidence to do even more.

6 What has the attention been like since you've been back?
Christine: The attention has been really different for me. I'm usually pretty laid back and all the attention was kind of a shock at first. They told us at the Olympics that people were really excited back home, but I don't think we really got it. Knoxville was great, mostly just small groups being excited. My hometown was crazy and fun. They had a parade and named a street after me – so weird to me because I see myself as a really normal person.

7 What did you learn or discover about China that you didn't know going into it?
Christine: I tried to keep a really open mind about China because I knew I didn't know much. The people were really nice, inviting, and overall excited to have us there. Their mindset is very different from ours which was an adjustment at times, but very interesting. I thought it was cool how you could really see how their past had affected them as a people.

8 How much fun was that group on the women's team?
Christine: The women had a blast! Everyone was really nice, and we had some real characters on the team – Allison Schmitt being the most notable. If she can't make you laugh, you need help. And the team was really supportive of one another. At every session we knew who was swimming and how they were doing mentally and physically. It really felt like a close team.

9 Has it set in that for the rest of your life, you will be known as an Olympian?
Christine: (Laughs) Not really. It's still so new. But it is weird to think that someday my kids will probably do a school project or family history on it.

10 What do you do to wind down away from the pool?
Christine: I love to just hang out with my roommates or the team. I also play with my border collie/ shepherd mix dog, Tucker. He's so energetic and sweet.

11 If your friends have you pick the place for dinner, what's it going to be, and what are you going to eat?
Christine: In Knoxville, it's going to be either sushi or a good steak place. I love them both and can't get enough. If I'm at home in Chicago, Patio Ribs...best ribs I've ever had. I have my dad mail me their BBQ sauce.

12 Tell us a little about your college team and what that experience was like?
Christine: My college team is my support system. The coaches and the girls are what keep my love of this sport alive on a daily basis. They are very positive and constantly challenging me and each other. I love it. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. My college experience was incredible and built up my skills, my confidence, and helped me to become who I am today.

13 If you go to a big mall, what are the first one or two stores you go to, and why?
Christine: I always am on a lookout for Forever 21. They have great stuff at a great price. I love their shirts and casual dresses. Then I look for The Buckle. They’re the only place that has jeans in a 35.5' inseam. It's hard for a girl as tall as me to find cute jeans.

14 Tell us something special about your hometown, and what that place means to you?
Christine: Tinley Park is a great place to grow up. It has the feel of a small community without being one. I love going home to see everyone, and going back to my high school after the Olympics was a blast.

15 How amazing has your family been, and what's it meant to you to see how proud they are of you for the Olympics?
Christine: My family has always been so supportive of me in anything I decide to do. I credit them with a lot of who I am and what I've done. It meant the world to me to have them in Beijing.

16 What's the future hold for you both in and out of the pool?
Christine: I'm planning on training for at least the next four years. I'll stay with my team and coach at the University of Tennessee. I'm looking forward to more international travel and experiences. While I'm training, I plan on getting my masters in something. I have not decided what yet. I also want to do more in my community and with charities. I've started to get involved in an organization called Right to Play. They work with children all over the world that because of their living situation, playing is not an option for them. It amazes me the effects this group is having on so many. I hope to do more with them in the future.

17 What was your major? What was the most fun class you took in college? The hardest?

Christine: My major is exercise science, and I've done a lot of pre-med classes with that. So Organic Chemistry II would have to be the hardest. I'm more of a process person, and the professor was very focused on memorization, which was hard for me. My favorites would have to be History of Rock. The professor was so cool and told us a lot of the more social facts of the music business. Human Physiology – maybe not as fun of a textbook, but I loved learning how the body worked on more of a basic level.

18 If you are picking dryland for the week, what are you and the team doing?
Christine: I use the TRX training system quite a bit. It's really core-focused and makes you work if you want to. But actually, I would like to leave the dryland up to my trainer, Kristen. She's so good and keeps it interesting. My practices would not be as creative and effective.

19 When did you start swimming, and how good were you right away – were you playing other sports at a young age?
Christine: I started swimming at age 6. I was pretty good for a 6-year-old. I only swam summers but I loved it right away because it was one thing I could beat my sister at. I also played basketball and volleyball growing up. I was not that great at basketball, but I was tall. Swimming was my real passion. I was good but I still got DQed my fair share of times growing up. Breaststroke is hard.

20 Who was your Olympic hero growing up, and why, and what's it like to realize now that you have all these kids looking up to you?

Christine: I watched the Olympics a lot growing up but I never thought I would be one of them. Ian Crocker, Michael (Phelps), Natalie, Brendan (Hansen) – it's so crazy to realize I was a teammate of theirs. I hope that I can be a good role model for younger swimmers.