Jenny Thompson is not only an Olympic gold medalist, but also a pediatric anesthesiologist.
Jenny Thompson was born in Dover, New Hampshire, which is just under one hour outside of Concord. She earned her undergraduate degree at Stanford University on a scholarship, where she majored in human biology. She then graduated from Columbia University, earning her doctorate.
Prior to attending college, she was the youngest U.S. swimmer to win a gold medal at the time. She won her gold medal in the 1992 Olympics. She is a four-time Olympian, As she competed in the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She won gold in her 4×100 freestyle and in her 4×100 medley. At the time, she had won the most Olympic medals of all female swimmers. Thompson has won 12 medals in total, with eight gold, three silver and one bronze.
Thompson has also competed in the World Championships. There, she has won 30 medals. She won 15 gold, 11 silver and four bronze. She was also a 15-time world record holder. She retired from racing in 2004 after her last World Championships.
After retiring, Thompson went back to school to get her medical degree. Now, she is an anesthesiologist, focusing on pediatric anesthesiology. She works at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Thompson not only set the standards for women who want to swim, but she also shows them that it can be more than just sports. She has two degrees and has continued to work hard in other endeavors after her swimming career ended.