Chuck Katis jumps into the pool and immediately starts swimming laps.
He has the four-lane, 25-yard pool in a luxury San Francisco high-rise all to himself. It is a beautiful place to be.
All things being equal, though, Katis would rather be in Rio.
"Of course, I'm disappointed," Katis said.
Katis is a breaststroke specialist who swims for the University of California, Berkeley. After months of dedicated training, Katis attempted to make the United States Olympic team this past summer at Olympic trials.
He came up two seconds short.
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"It wasn't there on that given day," Katis said. "But as an athlete, I think that's something you understand and it kind of comes with, with the game, with the sport."
If swimming were his entire life, Katis said, he would be crushed by not making the team.
Good thing, then, it's not.
"I'm kind of that crazy guy that's doing a million different things," Katis said.
One of those things is magic.
Ever since he was a young boy, Katis has been a performing magician. His specialty these days is performing for free for people who could use a distraction from the troubles of their daily lives. He often puts on shows for children in the hospital.
This week, it was homeless men and women at San Francisco's Navigation Center.
"I realized there are people in a lot worse situations than myself and if this magic could take them out of that situation for even a second, it would have been totally worth it," Katis said.
This week, however, it's not just his audience who could use a distraction. Performing magic is a way for Katis to not think too much about how much he'd love to be with his teammates in Rio.
His charitable work is also a reminder to him that no matter how much swimming means to you, there are more important things in life.
"It doesn't matter what situation you're in. It doesn't matter if you missed the team, made the team like, what is your impact on the world?"
