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FOXBORO - Shamu the killer whale now listens to Tanner Grogan.

Sea World Orlando recently promoted the Foxboro native to senior trainer. He now trains the killer whales for the park's Shamu show, called "Believe."

Grogan overcame a fear to get there - but not one that people might expect.

Grogan says that while he loved swimming in his family's pool as a kid, "I was actually the little kid who was afraid to open my eyes underwater and had to plug my nose all the time."

"A lot has changed now," said Grogan, a son of former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan and his wife Robbi. This interview was conducted by e-mail.

SUN CHRONICLE: So, what's it like working with Sea World's most famous attraction?

TANNER GROGAN: Working at Sea World with Shamu is literally a dream come true for me.

It's amazing to see the faces of the people in the crowd who are just in awe of even the little things we can do with these great creatures.

Not many people in the world can say that they have built a relationship with a 6,000-pound killer whale to the point that there is such a trust and understanding which allows us to get in the water and perform such amazing behaviors with them.

SC: How did this job come about?

GROGAN: A lot of things happened to fall in place for me in order to get this job.

I always loved animals when I was growing up and I knew that I wanted to work with them in some way, shape or form. It wasn't until high school (at Xaverian Brothers in Westwood) that I really focused in on working with marine mammals.

I once heard someone say that everyone would be lucky to have even just one teacher who inspires them and changes their life. I was fortunate enough to find that in my ninth-grade biology teacher, Kathy Bulger. She fueled my passion for marine life and helped me figure out ways that I could get involved.

Because of her, I started volunteering in the education department at the New England Aquarium in Boston. I did that for a few years until I graduated and left for college. I went to college at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where I majored in psychology, which is actually the preferred major for getting into training. My junior year of college, I was accepted to participate in an advanced internship here in Orlando working with the marine mammal department. I had an amazing experience there working with bottlenose dolphins and West Indian manatees.

I went back to school and finished up my degree, where, just before I graduated, I was offered another chance to go back to the Living Seas to intern following my graduation. It was during these internships that I made some great connections at Sea World.

Just before my second internship was over, a training position opened at Sea World. I applied and was invited to take the swim test in which 18 people took and only three of us passed and received an interview. I was offered the job that afternoon.

My first year at Sea World, I worked with the California sea lions, Asian small clawed otters and Pacific walruses before I began with the killer whales.

SC: For those people who haven't seen "Believe," what is it about?

GROGAN: Believe is an inspirational story of a young boy who grows up to achieve his dream of interacting with killer whales.

We hope to inspire our guests to follow their dreams, no matter what they are, showing people that anything is possible, so long as they believe. If we can build a relationship with the top predator of the ocean, imagine what else can be done in the world.

We want people who see the show, especially the younger generations, to go home and reach for their dreams. Because if they follow their hearts and believe in themselves, they can accomplish their dreams, just like I did.

SC: What is your favorite part? What is Shamu's favorite?

GROGAN: Every day is a new day when working with animals. I am always learning. It challenges me mentally and physically.

But one of my favorite things is just the getting in the water with one of the whales and spending some quality time just relaxing with them and floating there. Quality time to give them attention, a back rub, wrap your arms around them. It's in those little moments that you can really focus on, and really feel, the deep connection and relationship you have with that whale.

Each of the killer whales are very different. They all have very distinct personalities and different things that motivate them and excite them.

We spend years learning each whale's characteristics. Some of them love the more high energy behaviors, some of them love having multiple trainers in the water with them at the same time. They are all so unique.

SC: How do you handle Shamu when he doesn't feel like performing?

GROGAN: The whales do have times when they don't want to participate. They are very social animals, which can distract them sometimes.

Our basic philosophy in training is bringing attention (or reinforcement) to what we are looking for and ignoring what we are not looking for. We can bring attention to things in many different ways - fish, toys, back rubs, flipper rubs, ice, clapping/cheering, and even asking them to perform another behavior they seem to enjoy, just to name a few.

By having a variety of ways to bring attention to what we are looking for, it's more likely that they will do it the next time we ask. If the whales don't want to do anything we ask them to do, they don't have to.

We spend years building our relationships with them and try to make everything we do fun and exciting for them.

SC: How did your parents react when you told them you'd be training killer whales?

GROGAN: My parents have always been supportive in everything that my two brothers and I have wanted to do.

My older brother wanted to play football; he played for the New England Surge. My younger brother wanted to fly planes; he is currently at the Air Force Academy.

We each had a lot of different things we were interested in pursuing as kids, and our parents always tried to provide all the necessary means for us to do so.