Dara Torres
Since her first international race at the age of 14, Dara Torres has proven that she is far from your average athlete. Outside of swimming, Dara has made a name for herself as a TV commentator and a print model and was the first athlete to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 1994.
5-time Olympic swimmer, mother, model, TV personality, and motivational speaker.
Dara Torres is arguably the fastest female swimmer in America. She entered her first international swimming competition at age 14 and competed in her first Olympics a few years later in 1984. At the Beijing Games in 2008, Dara became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympics. When she took three silver medals –including the in famous heart breaking 50-meter freestyle race where she missed the Gold by 1/100th of a second – America loved her all the more for her astonishing achievement and her good-natured acceptance of the results.
In total, Dara has competed in 5 Olympic Games and has won 12 medals in her Olympic career. Her impressive performance in Beijing has inspired many older athletes to consider re-entering competition, including cyclist Lance Armstrong. Even after undergoing radical reconstructive surgery on her knee in fall of 2009, Torres shows no signs of slowing down and still says she will try for the 2012 London Olympics.
Aside from her amazing accomplishments in the pool, Dara has talents on dry land as well. A composed commentator, she has appeared on such networks as Fox News, ESPN and the Discovery Channel, and was the first female athlete ever to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 2009, Dara won the ESPY award for “Best Comeback” and was named one of the “Top Female Athletes of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated magazine.
Her memoir, “Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life,” was published in April, 2009 and was listed as oneof the top 25 best-selling business books in the month of June. Her second book, “Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program” was released in May, 2010.
Olympian, author, mother, and role model, Dara Torres is many things to many people, but above all, she is an inspiration.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 12-Time Olympic Medalist
- 5-Time Olympian
- First US swimmer to competein 5 Olympics
- American Record Holder
Photos
Video
Dara Torres covers the following topics:
- Women’s Issues
- Women’s Empowerment
- Never Give up your Dream
- You’re NOT too old to chase your dream
- The Olympic Experience
Book:
- Age Is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life
Dara talks frankly about diving back in for this comeback; about being an older athlete in a younger athletes’ game; about competition, doubt, and belief; about working through pain and uncertainty; and finally—about seizing the moment and, most important, never giving up. A truly self-made legend, her story will resonate with women of all ages—and with anyone daring to entertain a seemingly impossible dream.
