Mary Whipple facts for kids
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| Birth name | Mary Rebecca Whipple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 10, 1980 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
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Medal record
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Mary Rebecca Whipple (born May 10, 1980) is an American coxswain. She is famous for her amazing success in rowing. Mary has won many medals, including two Olympic gold medals. She is a true champion in the sport.
A coxswain is a special person in a rowing boat. They steer the boat and tell the rowers what to do. They don't row themselves. Mary is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 108 pounds.
Contents
Early Life and College Rowing
Mary Whipple was born in Sacramento, California. She started rowing in college. She went to the University of Washington.
Winning in College
In 1999, Mary was a freshman. She helped her team win a national title. This was for the women's varsity four boat.
In 2000, she led the varsity eight boat to victory. They won the Henley Royal Regatta. This was a big win for her team. They also got a silver medal at the NCAA championships.
Mary continued her success in 2001 and 2002. She coxed the varsity eight to two NCAA championships. Her team also won the overall title in 2001.
Olympic and World Championship Success
Mary Whipple is best known for her Olympic medals. She has competed in three Olympic Games. She has won gold and silver medals.
Olympic Medals
- In 2004, Mary won a silver medal. This was at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She was part of the women's eight team.
- In 2008, she won her first gold medal. This was at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Again, it was with the women's eight team.
- In 2012, Mary won another gold medal. This happened at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The women's eight team was unstoppable!
World Championship Wins
Mary also has many gold medals from the World Rowing Championships. These are big competitions for rowers from all over the world.
- She won gold in 2002 in Seville.
- She won gold again in 2006 in Eton.
- More gold medals came in 2007 in Munich.
- She won in 2010 in Karapiro.
- Her last World Championship gold was in 2011 in Lake Bled.
Family Life
Mary Whipple has an identical twin sister. Her name is Sarah Jeanine Whipple. Sarah is also involved in rowing.
Sarah used to be a coach. She worked at the University of California at Berkeley. Now, Sarah is the head coach at Capital Crew. This is a rowing team in Sacramento, California. She has led her team to many wins. They have won regional and national championships.
See also
- Kate Johnson
- Erin Cafaro
- Anna (Mickelson) Cummins
- Caryn Davies
- Susan Francia
- Anna Goodale
- Caroline Lind
- Elle Logan
- Lindsay Shoop
