Jenny Thompson

Jenny Thompson's Olympic record is extraordinary: twelve medals, including eight golds, across the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Games. That haul makes her one of the most decorated Olympians in history, a feat matched by few athletes in any sport. She is American, born in Massachusetts, and now works as a physician specializing in anesthesiology.

Her path to the pool began early. She started swimming at age 7 at a summer country club called Cedardale in Groveland, Massachusetts. During the indoor season, she swam at the Danvers YMCA from ages 8 to 10, and then at the Andover-North Andover YMCA from ages 10 to 12. At 12, she joined the Seacoast Swimming Association under coaches Amy and Mike Parratto, and moved to Dover, New Hampshire, at 13, a town she now calls her hometown.

She burst onto the international scene as a 14-year-old in 1987, winning the 50-meter freestyle and placing third in the 100-meter freestyle at the Pan American Games. Her first world championship came in 1991, as part of the USA's winning 4x100-meter freestyle relay team. By the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she held world records in both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle. With a height of 5'9", an athletic build, and natural breasts, she combines the physique of a champion swimmer with the discipline of a medical professional. Now 53, she has transitioned from the pool to the operating room, where she continues to excel in a demanding field.