Robert Margalis

Robert Margalis (born February 8, 1982) is an American medley and freestyle relay swimmer who competed for the University of Georgia, and won a gold and three silver medals at the 2003 Pan American Games and 2007 Pan American Games. Margalis won the gold medal in the men's 400-meter Individual Medley event at the 2003 Pan American Games. At the next edition, four years later in Rio de Janeiro, he captured three silver medals. At the 2011 Pan Americans, Margalis won a gold and bronze medal in the 4x200 freestyle relay and the 400 meter Individual Medley events. He captured a silver medal at the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships in Manchester in the 400 meter Individual Medley. He has also been a frequent top ten finisher in California Open Water distance swims.

Robert Margalis was born February 8, 1982 in Queens, New York to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Margalis, later of Clearwater, Florida. Margalis graduated Florida's Clearwater High School,

Marriage Not long after graduating college, Margalis married Beth Grahams on October 14, 2006 at a Beach Ceremony in Wilbur-by-the-Sea. At the time, Grahms, also a graduate of and swimming competitor for the University of Georgia, where they likely met, was working as an underwriter for Insurance Company Raymond James. The couple planned a July 2007 honeymoon in Brazil where Margalis would compete in the Pan American Championships.

International competition highlights Margalis won the gold medal in the men's 400-meter individual medley event at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santa Domingo. At the following Games, four years later in Rio de Janeiro, he captured three silver medals. He took a silver in the 200 m individual medley, the 400 m individual medley and the 4x200 m freestyle relay. Later at the 2011 Panama Games in Guadalajara he won a bronze medal in the 400-meter Individual Medley, and a gold medal in the 4×200 m freestyle.

In the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, he won a silver medal in the 400 Meter medley, and captured a silver medal at the 2008 Manchester Short Course World Championships in the 400 meter medley.

Careers Around 2010, Margalis and his wife Beth relocated to Fullerton, California to allow Robert to train for the 2012 Olympics, primarily with the Fullerton Area Swim Team. After making the U.S. National team, Robert began volunteering at Fullerton's Bootleggers Brewery packing bottles, before taking a paid position cleaning kegs, as an entry level job. He eventually worked his way to a position as Head Brewer, managing daily activities, where he oversaw personnel, insured that the company met quality standards and even wrote new recipes. He became the primary production supervisor. He left the business in 2021 to spend more time with his twin boys, Henry and John.

Honors Margalis became an inductee to the University of Georgia Circle of Honor in 2021.