By Erin Keaveny, Swimming World College Intern
The women on the U. S. National Team have smashed records and made history in the water, but contrary to popular opinion, they are not actually mermaids. They have to spend some time on land too, and you might not know as much about that part of their lives.
1. Natalie Coughlin is a chef.
Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel/USA Today Sports Images
Natalie Coughlin is a 12-time Olympic medalist, and was the first woman to swim a long course 100m back in under a minute. Coughlin has also made her mark as a home cook. She was on the Today Show for a cooking segment, one of Rachel Ray‘s guests, a judge on Iron Chef, and she competed on Food Network’s Chopped.
2. Eva Fabian has two crazy dogs.
Photo Courtesy: Tom Szczerbowski/USA Today Sports Images
Open water champ and Ivy League swimmer Eva Fabian has two furry friends, Sadie and Tibor. She talked about one specifically in her National Team bio, commenting “”Tibor likes to swim in lakes too. He also likes to ride on kayaks and capsize them and fall out of the kayak!”
3. Micah Lawrence is an artist.
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
The National Team breaststroke specialist Micah Lawrence hopes to become a tattoo artist or magazine designer after her swimming career, and her college major was graphic design. Check out some paintings she did here!
4. Margo Geer’s older brother is her biggest influence.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The sprint freestyler from Ohio, Margo Geer, has an older brother, Marcus, who swam for Denison University. Geer started swimming because her older brother did, and still considers him her biggest influence.
5. Tristin Baxter is a swimming legacy.
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Open water distance swimmer Tristin Baxter comes from a long line of accomplished swimming ladies. Her mother attended the Munich 1972 Olympics, and her aunt qualified for 1980 U.S. Olympic Team.
6. Madison Kennedy is an animal lover.
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Madison Kennedy, a freestyler who graduated from Cal in 2010, lives with more animals than most. Her personal menagerie includes two dogs, Blaze and Jordan, two cats, Hiss and Dusty, and a horse named Raven.
7. Maya DiRado got her name from her younger sister.
Stanford graduate Maya DiRado got her name from her older sister. When she came home from the hospital, her sister couldn’t say “Madeline,” so she caller her “Maya” and it stuck.
A bit more on the legacy status of #5, Tristan Baxter.
1. Mother Ann Simmons Baxter not only “attended” the Munich Games in 1972, she was the first woman under 9:00 in the 800 free, breaking the World Record in 1971 at 8:59.37, winning the USA-USSR dual meet that summer
2. Her Aunt (Father Steve’s sister), breaststroker Terri Baxter not only qualified for the 1980 team but did her college swimming at Arizona State, which likely played a role in Tristan becoming a Sun Devil even though both of her “legacy” parents went to UCLA.
3. Father Steve won the Pac-8 200 Fly title in 1973 and 100 Fly in 1975 for the Bruins..
4. Steve and Ann have been long time successful swim coaches in central and southern California.
#7 says Maya got her name from her *younger* sister