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 November 13, 1987) is an amazing American swimmer who has won many awards. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and used to hold world records in swimming.

Dana has won a total of 32 medals in big international swimming events. These include 19 gold medals, 8 silver, and 5 bronze. Her medals come from the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, Pan Pacific Championships, and Goodwill Games. This makes her one of the most successful female Olympic swimmers ever!

Growing Up

Dana Vollmer was born in Syracuse, New York. She grew up in Granbury, Texas, which is near Dallas-Fort Worth. When she was young, she swam for the Fort Worth Area Swim Team (FAST).

In 2003, Dana had heart surgery. This was to fix a condition that made her heart beat very fast, sometimes up to 240 beats per minute. After her surgery, doctors checked her heart carefully. They wanted to make sure she was safe to swim. Her doctors suggested that a special machine, called a defibrillator, should always be near the pool when she swims. This was just a safety measure.

College Swimming

Dana first went to the University of Florida and swam for the Florida Gators team in 2006. She did very well in her first year.

After that, she moved to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she swam for the Golden Bears team from 2007 to 2009. Dana was the best swimmer for the Golden Bears for three years in a row. In 2009, she was named the Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year. She also won many individual championships. She helped the Golden Bears win their first team championship in 2009.

Swimming Career Highlights

Early Days in the Pool

Dana started swimming at a very young age. When she was just 12, she was the youngest swimmer to compete at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. She didn't make the team that year, but it showed how talented she was! A year later, she was also the youngest swimmer at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

2004 Athens Olympics

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Dana won her first Olympic gold medal. She was part of the winning U.S. team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Her teammates were Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, and Kaitlin Sandeno. Not only did they win gold, but they also set a new world record for the event!

World Championships and Close Calls (2005–2008)

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

Dana almost made the 2008 Olympic team. She swam very well at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but just missed qualifying by a tiny bit.

Setting Records (2009–2011)

In 2009, Dana set her first individual American record in the 200-yard freestyle.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy, Dana won two medals: a silver and a bronze. She even set another American record in the 200-meter freestyle during the semi-finals.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Dana won three more medals. She earned two gold medals and one silver. She set a national record in the 100-meter butterfly semi-finals and then won gold in the final. She also helped her team win gold in the 4×100-meter medley relay, setting the second-fastest time ever!

2012 London Olympics: A Golden Performance

At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Dana qualified for her second Olympic team. She finished first in the 100-meter butterfly, breaking her own American record.

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London were incredible for Dana. She broke her American record again in the 100-meter butterfly. Then, in the final, she won the gold medal and set a brand new world record with a time of 55.98 seconds! She also won another gold medal as part of the U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team. In her last event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Dana won a third gold medal. Her team also set a new world record in this race!

2016 Rio Olympics: More Medals

Dana qualified for her third Olympic team at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she 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. Dana then swam in the 4×100-meter medley relay, where her team won the gold medal. This gold medal was extra special because it was the 1,000th gold medal for the U.S. at the Summer Olympics!

Swimming While Pregnant (2017)

In 2017, Dana did something amazing. She competed in a swimming race while six months pregnant! She did this to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She finished the race and later announced that she was expecting her second child, a boy. On July 4, 2017, she gave birth to her son, Ryker Alexander Grant.

Retirement (2019)

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

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.

Fastest Swimming Times

Here are some of Dana Vollmer's best times in different swimming events.

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