Olympian

Dara Torres is arguably the fastest female swimmer in America. She entered her first international swimming competition at age 14 and competed in her first Olympics a few years later in 1984.

At the Beijing Games in 2008, Torres became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympics. When she took three silver medals -- including the infamous 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.

<p>Amy Van Dyken is a 6-time Olympic gold medal champion swimmer who made history as the most successful athlete at the ’96 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia and the first American female athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympic games.</p>

<p>Van Dyken began swimming at age six in an effort to relieve childhood asthma, through which she developed a strong "will to win." That strength made her a star in the ‘96 Games, despite competing with about 65% of normal lung capacity.</p>

<p>Since she was a little girl, Shawn Johnson East dreamed of competing for the United States in the Olympics. By 2008, when she was named to the US Olympics Gymnastics Team, she was already a two-time National Champion, and a World AA Champion.</p>

<p>At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Johnson East helped establish the United States as one of the most talented teams in the world, winning the individual gold medal in the balance beam, and three silver medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and team categories.</p>

<p>Lopez Lomong&#39;s remarkable journey from Sudanese Civil War to the Olympic Games underscores the capacity of the human spirit to overcome extraordinary adversity, giving hope and inspiration to pursue dreams that might seem unthinkable.</p><p>Lopez began his journey in Sudan, where he was kidnapped by rebel soldiers at just six years old. After boldly escaping capture, he spent 10 years as a refugee until he was adopted by a U.S. family at 16.

<p>One of the best female goalkeepers of all time, Hall of Famer and ESPY Award-winner Briana Scurry shares stories from her trailblazing journey, empowering audiences to strive for excellence and stay resilient, no matter the obstacles.</p><p>Briana Scurry is widely recognized as one of the world’s most talented and influential goalkeepers. Scurry’s 173 international appearances as one of the first African American and openly gay professional athletes championed equality and diversified professional soccer.

<p>Ibtihaj Muhammad is an entrepreneur, activist, speaker and Olympic medalist in fencing. A 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, 5-time Senior World medalist and World Champion, in 2016, Ibtihaj became the first American woman to compete in the Olympics in hijab. </p><p>Ibtihaj was a 3-time All American at Duke University where she graduated with a dual major in International Relations and African Studies.