Lessons from the pool with U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Maritza McClendon
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Lessons from the pool with U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Maritza McClendon
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About this listen
This week on Georgia On Your Mind, Chris Sharp sits down with Maritza McClendon at the Freeman Aquatic Center at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia to reflect on her remarkable journey from San Juan, Puerto Rico to the Olympic stage. Diagnosed with severe scoliosis at just seven years old, Maritza first entered the pool as a form of therapy and quickly discovered a passion that would shape the rest of her life. That passion propelled her to a historic career at the University of Georgia, where she became a 27-time All-American and 11-time NCAA champion before earning a spot on the United States Olympic Team and capturing a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In doing so, she made history as the first woman of color to make the U.S. Olympic swim team.In our conversation, Maritza reflects on the perseverance required to overcome challenges, including missing the Olympic team in 2000 before returning four years later to secure her place on the Olympic roster. She also discusses her mission beyond competition through Swim 1922, a program focused on expanding swimming education and water safety in underserved communities.