The first Olympian ever to win seven gold medals in a single Olympics, U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz became part hero and part controversial athlete during his Olympic career. With his black mustache and movie star looks, Spitz dominated his sport in 1972 and retired to find even greater fame as the first athlete to become a commercial success in corporate America. Even the specter of terrorism at the 1972 Munich games did not lessen his extraordinary appeal. With 11 Olympic medals under his belt and a reported $5 million in endorsements, Spitz enjoyed enormous popularity and success in the 1970s.

Spitz began training at an early age, and by the age of eight he was already swimming in competitions. With his family firmly behind him, the Spitzes relocated to California in search of a better training environment. Spitz received encouragement and training from both his father, Arnold...