Marcus Titus

Marcus James Titus (born May 20, 1986) is a deaf American swimmer who has made it as far as eighth place in the 2012 Olympic Trials.

Marcus Titus was born on May 20, 1986, in Tucson, Arizona.

Titus was born deaf.

However, his parents, Mark and Mieko Titus, didn't discover this until the age of three.

Titus can hear a close-up conversation at about fifty percent capacity when wearing a device in his right ear.

His interpreter, Hans Ferguson, helps him communicate better at meets by using hand signals to inform him when to take his mark and begin the race.

Titus attended a Deaf Institute until fourth grade, in which he then went to public school.

It was here he found his love for swimming and has continued this dream of competitive swimming.

He began swimming at the age of twelve for his high school team, Flowing Wells.

There Titus earned four varsity letters in swimming and was named High School All-American as a senior.

He participated in the 4x100 medley relay team, helping to lead his team to first place at the National Championships.

Titus earned four varsity letters in swimming at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona.

He participated in the 4x100 medley relay team, helping to lead his team to first place at the National Championships in which his split time was 1:04.14.

At a Speedo Champion Series, Titus took first place in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.14.

Titus was named High School All-American as a senior.

Titus attend the University of Arizona and got his degree in deaf studies/special education.

His college swim coach nicknamed him Marcus Aurelius because his name sounded very Roman.

He also finished 10th in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:00.58 and 6th in the 100m breaststroke in the 2005, and at the Texas Invitational with a time of 54.77.

At Arizona State University in 2006, Titus acquired a personal best time of 54.28 in the 100m breast at the Pac-10 Championships, setting a new school record.

Titus won a state championship at Flowing Wells High School and is a 12-time-All-American at Arizona, he was a major figure in the US’s 2008 NCAA championship team, and he was previously a coach for the 2013 Deaflympic team.

He is also known for being a spokesperson for deaf and hard-hearing athletes in the swimming world.

Titus is the deaf world record holder in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter breaststroke and 100-meter breaststroke, all of which he set records for at the World Deaf Championships.

Titus also gained the title of a multiple All-American in breaststroke and in medley relay events, placing second in the 2008 NCAAs.

Marcus Titus's swimming career began when he first decided to join his high school swim team at Flowing Wells.

He continued swimming throughout all of high school career and eventually continued on with it throughout college when he attended the University of Arizona.

He is the Arizona State University and University of Arizona 100 yard breaststroke record holder.

With the help of his coach, Frank Busch, Titus made the USA National team three years in a row gaining him recognition.

During the Pan American Games, Titus won his medal in the 100-meter breaststroke in Guadalajara, earning his first ever medal it an international competition.

This along with all the other big events he has attended and placed well, such as NCAA's, US Open, and the Olympic trials has helped to make him one of the most renowned deaf swimmers in United States.

Titus also gained the title of a multiple All-American in breaststroke and in medley relay events, placing second in the 2008 NCAAs.

Titus originally attempted to make the USA Olympic team in the 2008 Olympic trials in Beijing but fell short.

From his first attempt at the Olympic trials in 2008, Titus shaved off 1.18 seconds off his time in the 2012 Olympic trials.

Titus's career highlights include finishing third in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2009 ConocoPhillips National Championships, placing fourth in the same event the following year in 2010 and, lastly, placing third again the year after that in the 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships.

In his later career, Titus tried out for the 2012 Olympic Trials, coached the 2013 Deaflympic team, and is planning on returning to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympic Trials.

Hoping to make it in the 2012 Olympic trials, Titus competed in the Pan American Games, in Guadalajara, Mexico, to help prepare.

He needed to make improvements in his stroke technique to allow for less drag.

In the 2012 Olympic trials, Titus posted a time of 1:00:49 in breaststroke, coming in eighth place, just barely missing making the Olympic team by .79 of a second.

. After this, Titus took a break from competitive swimming to coach the 2013 USA Deaflympics team.

Titus took a position as a coach for the 2013 USA Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria.

As coach, Titus led his team to two new world records and multiple American records and medals.