Peter Varellas (b. 1984) grew up in Moraga, California, where he was encouraged by his father to play water polo. He excelled throughout his time at Campolindo High School; he was named MVP and Best Offensive Player as a junior. He was a member of the U.S. Junior National team in 2002, which finished second at the Junior Pan American Championships that year.
He attended Stanford University where he played water polo for four years (2002–2005). A left-handed sharpshooter, he helped the team to the NCAA championship game each year, winning the title in his first season. He was twice named All-American, as well as being honored with the Most Outstanding Male Senior Award and Pac-10 Stanford Male Athlete of the Year in 2005–2006.
After graduation, Varellas excelled in the pool on three fronts: for Rari Nantes Savona in Italy from 2006–2010, for the U.S. National team, and for The Olympic Club. Varellas is two-time Olympian, representing the United States at the 2008 Beijing and the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2008, Varellas helped Team USA reach the podium for the first time in 20 years, bringing home the silver medal. In 2012, he continued to be an offensive threat, finishing as the team’s second leading scorer. He was also a member of the gold medal-winning teams at the 2007 and 2011 Pan American Games.
Since 2006, he has also competed for the Club in Open and Masters competition, including dominant play in the USA Water Polo National League, which was formed in 2015. An Olympian Award for Athletic Achievement recipient in 2012, Varellas continues to represent the OC in national and international competition and serves on the Board of Directors for USA Water Polo as an athlete representative.
