Dana Vollmer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dana Vollmer

Vollmer in 2009
Personal information
Born	(1987-11-13) November 13, 1987 (age 37) Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in
Weight	150 lb
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Butterfly, freestyle
Club	California Aquatics
College team	University of California, Berkeley; University of Florida
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 5 1 1 World Championships (LC) 4 4 2 World Championships (SC) 2 2 2 Goodwill Games 0 0 1 Pan Pacific Championships 5 1 0 Pan American Games 3 0 0 Universiade 1 1 0 Total 20 9 6 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2012 London 100 m butterfly Gold 2012 London 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2012 London 4×100 m medley Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m butterfly World Championships (LC) Gold 2007 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 100 m butterfly Gold 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m medley Gold 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m medley Silver 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m medley Silver 2009 Rome 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2009 Rome 200 m freestyle Bronze 2013 Barcelona 100 m butterfly World Championships (SC) Gold 2004 Indianapolis 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2004 Indianapolis 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2010 Dubai 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2010 Dubai 4×100 m medley Bronze 2004 Indianapolis 200 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Dubai 100 m butterfly Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2006 Victoria 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 100 m butterfly Gold 2010 Irvine 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 4×100 m medley Silver 2010 Irvine 100 m freestyle Pan American Games Gold 2003 Sto Domingo 200 m freestyle Gold 2003 Sto Domingo 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2003 Sto Domingo 4×100 m medley Universiade Gold 2005 Izmir 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2005 Izmir 50 m butterfly Goodwill Games Bronze 2001 Brisbane 4×100 m medley

Dana Whitney Vollmer, born on November 13, 1987, is a famous American swimmer. She has won five Olympic gold medals and used to hold world records. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she helped the U.S. team win a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. They even set a new world record!

Eight years later, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Dana set another world record. This time, it was for the 100-meter butterfly, where she won gold. She also earned gold medals in two other relay races. In 2016, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she won three more medals, including another gold. Overall, Dana has won 32 medals in big international swimming events. This makes her one of the most successful female Olympic swimmers ever.

Dana's Early Life and Health Journey

Dana Vollmer was born in Syracuse, New York. She grew up in Granbury, Texas, near Dallas-Fort Worth. As a young swimmer, she trained with coach Ron Forrest.

In 2003, Dana had heart surgery. This was to fix a condition that made her heart beat very fast. After her surgery, doctors checked her heart carefully. They wanted to make sure she was completely healthy. Her doctors suggested having a special device called a defibrillator nearby when she swam. This was just a safety measure.

College Swimming Career

Dana started her college swimming at the University of Florida in 2006. She swam for the Florida Gators swimming and diving team. After her first year, she moved to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she joined the California Golden Bears swimming and diving team.

Dana was a top swimmer for the Golden Bears for three years. She was named the Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year in 2009. She also won the Honda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving. This award recognized her as the best college female swimmer. Dana won many individual championships and helped her team win their first NCAA championship in 2009.

Dana's Amazing Swimming Career

Starting Out in Swimming

Dana Vollmer was a very talented young swimmer. At just 12 years old, she was the youngest swimmer at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. A year later, she was also the youngest swimmer at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Olympic Gold in 2004

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Dana achieved her first Olympic gold medal. She was part of the winning U.S. team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. The team, including Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, and Kaitlin Sandeno, set a new world record. This record had stood for 17 years!

World Championships Success (2005–2011)

Dana continued to shine at the FINA World Aquatics Championships. In 2007, she won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. She also earned two silver medals in other relay events.

In 2009, at the World Championships in Rome, Dana won a silver and a bronze medal. She even set an American record in the 200-meter freestyle. At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Dana won three more medals. These included two gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and the 4×100-meter medley relay. She also won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

London 2012: A Golden Performance

At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Dana qualified for her second Olympics. She won the 100-meter butterfly and placed third in the 200-meter freestyle.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Dana was incredible. She broke her own American record and set an Olympic record in the 100-meter butterfly. In the final, she won the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 55.98 seconds! She also won two more gold medals in relay races. The U.S. team set a new world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

Rio 2016: More Olympic Medals

Dana qualified for her third Olympics at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. She finished second in the 100-meter butterfly.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Dana won a bronze medal in the 100-meter butterfly. She also helped the U.S. team win a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, setting an American record. Her team also won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. This gold medal was special because it was the 1,000th gold medal for the U.S. at the Summer Olympics!

Later Career and Retirement

In 2017, Dana swam in a competition while six months pregnant. She was preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On July 4, 2017, she welcomed her second son, Ryker Alexander Grant.

On July 30, 2019, Dana Vollmer announced she was retiring from competitive swimming. Her last race was the 100-meter butterfly at the 2019 National Swimming Championships.

Life Outside the Pool

Dana Vollmer is an ambassador for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" program. This program helps raise awareness about heart health.

She is married to Andy Grant, who was also a swimmer. They have two sons. Their first son, Arlen Jackson Grant, was born on March 6, 2015. Their second son, Ryker Alexander Grant, was born on July 4, 2017.

Personal Best Swimming Times

Long Course (50-meter pool)

Short Course (25-meter pool)

See also

In Spanish: Dana Vollmer para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of Pan American Games records in swimming
• List of United States records in swimming
• List of University of California, Berkeley alumni
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• List of world records in swimming
• World record progression 100 metres butterfly
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
• World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay