At five years old, Misty Hyman was suffering from asthma and bouts of pneumonia. Her doctor at the time recommended something to her parents that, unbeknownst to them, would end up changing Misty’s life forever: swimming.
What began as an option to aid her struggle with asthma turned into a lifelong passion. As a young girl, Misty would watch the Olympics and dream of being the woman on the podium while her country’s national anthem played. The Mesa, Ariz., native began to realize that dream in March 1996. But it wasn’t quite her time: finishing third and fourth in the U.S.A. Trials in the 100 and 200 butterflies, she barely missed making the U.S.A. Olympic Team.
The deflation of missing out on her dream further fueled Misty’s training. In 2000, she not only qualified for the U.S.A. Olympic Team, she won gold in the 200-meter fly in a stunning upset at the 2000 Sydney games. After coming from behind to break the American record, she also upset Australian Susie O’Neill, an Australian native who was swimming to defend her title.
Known to many within the community as a pioneer in the sport for her underwater dolphin kick, Misty now serves as a coach and motivational speaker, determined to help others realize their dream while hosting clinics and camps throughout the U.S. and internationally. And just last year, in 2012, she was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.