Dara Torres facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dara Torres

Torres waves to the crowd after winning a silver medal in 50-meter freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Personal information
Nickname(s)	"DT"
Born	(1967-04-15) April 15, 1967 (age 58) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	150 lb
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Butterfly, freestyle
Club	Culver City Swim Club Mission Viejo Nadadores
College team	University of Florida
Coach	Randy Reese Mark Schubert Richard Quick
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 4 4 World Championships (LC) 0 1 0 Pan Pacific Championships 3 0 0 Pan American Games 1 0 0 Total 8 5 4 Olympic Games Gold 1984 Los Angeles 4×100 m freestyle Gold 1992 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Sydney 4×100 m medley Silver 1988 Seoul 4×100 m medley Silver 2008 Beijing 50 m freestyle Silver 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2008 Beijing 4×100 m medley Bronze 1988 Seoul 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 100 m butterfly World Championships (LC) Silver 1986 Madrid 4×100 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Gold 1987 Brisbane 100 m freestyle Gold 1987 Brisbane 4×100 m freestyle Gold 1987 Brisbane 4×100 m medley Pan American Games Gold 1983 Caracas 4×100 m freestyle

Dara Grace Torres, born on April 15, 1967, is an amazing American swimmer. She is a 12-time Olympic medalist and once held world records. Dara is famous for being the first U.S. swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games. These were in 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008. At 41 years old, she was the oldest swimmer to join the U.S. Olympic team.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Dara won three silver medals. She competed in the 50-meter freestyle, and two relay races. In total, Dara earned 12 Olympic medals: four gold, four silver, and four bronze. This tied the record for the most Olympic swimming medals for a woman at that time. She won at least one medal in every Olympics she attended.

Dara is now the Head Coach for swimming and diving at Boston College. She also became the Head Coach for the Maccabi USA U17 Swimming national team for the 2026 Maccabiah Games.

Meet Dara Torres: Olympic Swimming Legend

Dara's Early Life and First Swims

Dara Torres was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in Beverly Hills, California, with her parents, Edward and Marylu Torres. Dara was one of six children. When she was seven, she started swimming at the local YMCA, just like her older brothers.

Soon, she joined a swimming club in Culver City. By age 14, Dara was already a national champion. She won the 50-yard freestyle, beating an older college swimmer! Dara went to Westlake School for Girls. She swam for her school team and also played basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball.

To train for her first Olympics, Dara moved to Mission Viejo, California. She swam for the Mission Viejo Nadadores club. After the 1984 Olympics, she returned to Westlake School and graduated in 1985.

College Years: A Gator Champion

Dara earned a scholarship to the University of Florida. She swam for the Florida Gators swimming and diving team from 1986 to 1989. During her college career, Dara won many championships. She earned nine individual titles in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

She also helped her team win 12 SEC relay championships. In 1988, Dara won three national championships for individual events. She was also part of six national championship relay teams. Dara was recognized as the SEC Athlete of the Year in 1988. She was also named SEC Female Swimmer of the Year twice.

Dara received 28 All-American honors for swimming. This is the highest number a college swimmer can achieve! After her swimming eligibility ended, she even played volleyball for a year. Dara graduated in 1990 with a degree in telecommunications. In 1999, she was honored in the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.

Olympic Journey Begins: 1984, 1988, 1992

Dara Torres in 1984

Dara's first Olympics was the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She was part of the U.S. women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. They won a gold medal! Dara swam in the qualifying race, helping her team reach the final.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Dara won two more medals. She earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. She also won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. Individually, she placed seventh in the 100-meter freestyle.

For the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Dara competed in one event. She swam in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Her team won another gold medal, making it her second Olympic gold!

First Comeback: Sydney 2000 Olympics

Dara took a break from swimming for seven years. But in 1999, she decided to make an amazing comeback for the Olympics! She trained hard and it paid off. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she won five medals.

She helped the U.S. women's team win gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Dara also anchored the winning U.S. team in the 4×100-meter medley relay, earning another gold. These were her third and fourth Olympic gold medals!

Individually, Dara won three bronze medals. These were in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, and 100-meter freestyle. At 33 years old, Dara became the oldest woman to win an Olympic swimming medal. She won more medals than anyone else on the U.S. swim team that year.

Amazing Second Comeback: Beijing 2008 Olympics

Dara Torres at the Missouri Grand Prix in 2008

In 2007, at age 40 and just 16 months after having her first child, Dara made another incredible comeback. She won the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Nationals. She also set a new American record in the 50-meter freestyle.

At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, Dara qualified for her fifth Olympic Games! This was a first for an American female swimmer. She became the oldest U.S. Olympic swimmer ever. To show everyone she was competing fairly, Dara volunteered for extra drug testing. She wanted to prove that her amazing performance was all thanks to hard work and dedication.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Dara won three silver medals. She was the anchor swimmer for the U.S. team in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. This was her fifth Olympic medal in this event! She became the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic medal in history.

Dara also won a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle. She set a new American record with her time. Just minutes later, she won another silver medal. This was for swimming the freestyle part of the 4×100-meter medley relay. Her split time in this relay was the fastest 100-meter freestyle split ever recorded in a relay!

With 12 Olympic medals, Dara tied the record for most medals by a female Olympic swimmer. This record was first set by Jenny Thompson.

After the Olympics: Retirement and New Adventures

After the 2008 Olympics, Dara continued to compete. In 2009, she won the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. National Championships. She also competed in the World Championships for the first time since 1986.

After knee surgery, Dara trained to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, she placed fourth in the 50-meter freestyle. Only the top two swimmers qualified for the Olympic team.

After these trials, Dara announced her retirement from competitive swimming. She ended her amazing career with 12 Olympic medals. Her Olympic journey spanned 24 years and five Olympic Games. In 2004, she was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Life Beyond the Pool

Dara Torres in the 2010 Heart Truth fashion show

Dara has worked in television as a reporter and announcer for networks like NBC and ESPN. She also hosted a golf show. Dara has worked as a model and was the first elite swimmer to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1994. In 2005, she was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Dara has a daughter named Tessa Grace, born in 2006. Her daughter's birth inspired her to start training for swimming again. Dara also appeared on the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2000. She won $125,000 for her charity, Cystic Fibrosis.

Dara supports Swim Across America, a charity that raises money for cancer research. She has also written two books. These books share her experiences and tips for achieving dreams and staying fit.

Dara is also involved with the American chapter of the foundation of Princess Charlene of Monaco. She serves as Vice-President on its board of directors. In August 2019, Dara joined CaniBrands, a health and wellness company. She became their Chief Wellness and Lifestyle Officer.

On June 18, 2024, Torres became the Head Swimming and Diving Coach at Boston College. In Winter 2025, Torres was named Head U17 Swim Coach for the Maccabi USA National Team.

Dara Torres's World Records

Dara Torres held several world records during her career.

50 Meter Freestyle World Records

Women's 4×100-meter Freestyle Relay World Records

Women's 4×100-meter Medley Relay World Records

See also

In Spanish: Dara Torres para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of multiple Olympic medalists in one event
• List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
• List of notable Jewish swimmers
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of United States records in swimming
• List of University of Florida alumni
• List of University of Florida Olympians
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• World record progression 50 metres freestyle
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay