Dara Torres: A 12-Time Olympic Medalist Latina

When it comes to longevity and athletes, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who fits the mold better than swimmer Dara Torres.

Torres, a 12-time Olympic medalist, participated in her first Olympic Games at the age of 17 in 1984, and didn’t stop until after the 2008 games in Beijing, 24 years later.

The 54-year-old was born in 1967 to Edward Torres Marylu Kauder, and she exhibited an interest in swimming from a young age. Although she was part of the 1984 U.S. women’s 4×100-meter relay team that won gold, it wasn’t until she enrolled at the University of Florida that her legend began to grow.

There, she won a bevy of individual and team honors, including nine SEC individual championships, 28 All-American swimming honors, and the SEC female swimmer of the year award in 1987 and 1989.

In addition, she was the SEC athlete of the year in 1988, and was also a member of 12 SEC championship relay teams. Despite the inordinate amount of time she dedicated to her craft, she kept up with her studies and graduated with a degree in telecommunications in 1990.

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While still in college, she participated in the 1988 Seoul games, and earned a bronze medal in the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay.

In 1992, she added to her medal count, winning the gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle at the Barcelona games.

After the ‘92 games, decided to take a break from competitive swimming, and, after skipping the 1996 games in Atlanta, many (including herself) believed that her career was coming to a close.

Alas, the competitive itch never really leaves an athlete, and she eventually began training with Richard Quick to get back in the pool.

Not only did she qualify for the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, she essentially took over them. Torres won five medals, including two gold (4×100-meter medley relay; 4×100-meter freestyle), and three bronze (50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter freestyle).

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Following an absolutely dominant performance, no one would have though twice if Torres had decided to walk off into the sunset as one of the most decorated U.S. olympians in history.

However, she had other plans.

In preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, she broke her own American record in the 50-meter freestyle, finishing the race in 24.25 seconds, beating her own previous record of 24.38 seconds.

Upon qualifying for the fifth time in her career, Torres became the oldest swimmer (41) to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

In Beijing, she continued to defy Father Time, winning three silvers, one in 4×100-meter