A Legendary Life. Donna De Varona is a female icon of American and world sports. A true swimming prodigy, at thirteen she was the youngest competitor at the 1960 Rome Olympics. In the following four years, she broke 18 world swimming records and won two Olympic gold medals in the 400 medley and 4×100 freestyle with abysmal gaps, an unprecedented record. This brought her at just seventeen years old on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Life magazines and named the best female athlete in the world by the Associated Press and the United Press Association.
After winning 37 national championships and two Olympic gold medals, she retired from competitive sports in 1965. In the same year, she became the first female sports presenter in history on a television network, thus paving the way for future athletes and journalists.
As an analyst, commentator, host, writer and producer for ABC Sports, she earned an Emmy Award nomination for “Keepers of the Flame,” a television special about the Olympics, and received an Emmy for her coverage of a special Olympian.
A staunch advocate for civil rights and a pioneer in gender equality, she co-founded the Women’s Sports Foundation with tennis legend Billy Jean King and served as its first president. She later served as government relations officer for the United States Olympic Committee, laying the groundwork for the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
She has received numerous honors, including the Gold Medal of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the Olympia Award for her contribution to the Olympic Movement, and the Olympic Order, the highest honor bestowed by the IOC, as well as honorary degrees and numerous other awards.
Finally, Donna de Varona is an important member of the “Shriver Society” , the exclusive club of the most important donors of Special Olympics including excellent personalities not only in sports, and in which
this Foundation has also had the honor of being included.
Proud and flattered by your invitation. Thank you
