Dara Torres (16,400 total followers) is a 12x Olympic medalist, Sports Illustrated model, NY Times Best Selling Author, TV Host, and mom. She continues to prove that there is no limit to what she can do, and nothing that will set her back.
Dara received her first Olympic medal in 1984, and her last one at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 where she became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympic Games, as well as the Olympian with the most years between their first and last medals.
In Beijing she took home three silver medals, including the heartbreaking 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.
As of 2019, she was inducted into the United State Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame among other Olympic legends. Her impressive performance in Beijing, and her attempt at the 2012 London Olympic Games has inspired many older athletes to consider re-entering competition. Even after giving birth to her daughter at age 41, she continued to compete, making her even more remarkable considering Olympians who are moms are far to none.
Aside from her amazing accomplishments in the pool, Dara has many other talents on dry land as well. After completing her Olympic journey, Dara not only wanted to continue sharing her experiences, but also wanted to inspire people to reach their greatest potential. She went on to publish her memoir “Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life,” and after being released in April 2009, it was listed as one of the top 25 best-selling business books by June. She has become a top-selling author, as her second book, “Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program” hit stands in May 2010 and is now a New York Times Best-Seller.
To add to Dara’s accolades she was the first female athlete ever to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and in 2009, won the ESPY award for “Best Comeback.” She was also named one of the “Top Female Athletes of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated Magazine, and was featured on the cover of People Magazine as an exclusive piece about her 30 year journey with asthma. Her efforts are extremely notable, and incredibly impressive.
Today she proceeds to spread her message while appearing on such shows as Fox News, ESPN, CNN, Piers Morgan Tonight, Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Regis, and various others. She is also a highly sought after Motivational Keynote Speaker for corporate conferences, leadership summits, fundraisers and especially women’s conferences. Dara feels passionate not only about telling her tale, but also bringing a new perspective to her audience about their capabilities, how to overcome obstacles, and how to be their greatest selves.
What better way to lead into this year’s Olympic games than with an Olympic icon?
