"Jenny Thompson has been a terrific person to have at our Mutual of Omaha functions. She has a winning personality and her accomplishments and her spirit are uplifting. She talks about her life and goals both as a swimmer and doctor with great confidence and enthusiasm. She interacted extremely well with all of our employees and our customers, making them feel as though they were the real Olympians and she was just one of their fans."
12-Time Olympic medalist (8 gold)
Medaled at 4 Olympics (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004)
26-time U.S. National champion
2000 Women's Sports Foundation's SportsWoman of the Year
1999 USOC SportsWoman of the Year
1999 USA Swimming Performance of the Year (100m fly, world record)
2-time USA Swimming Swimmer of the Year (1993, 1998)
Former world record-holder
U.S. National Team member for 17 years (retired 2004)
Led Stanford to 4-straight NCAA team championship titles
Born On: February 26, 1973
Hometown: Dover, New Hampshire
Resides: Boston, Massachusetts
Education: Stanford (B.A. Human Biology, 1995), Columbia Medical School (PhD, 2006)
Golden Career
When Jenny Thompson retired from swimming after the 2004 Olympics, she left as the most decorated U.S. Olympic swimmer in history with 12 Olympic medals, including eight gold. She was also one of the most respected athletes among her peers after growing up in the sport and ultimately becoming a role model to those coming after her.
During her illustrious career, Thompson led Stanford to four-straight NCAA Championship titles and amassed 26 U.S. national individual titles, dating back to 1987. She made her Olympic debut at the age of 19 at the 1992 Games, collecting two gold and one silver medal. After her third Olympic appearance in 2000, she started medical school at Columbia University, but soon missed being in the water.
Thompson got back into training in 2001, casually at first, but it wasn’t long before her competitive juices were flowing. By the 2001 U.S. Nationals, it was apparent she was destined to make a fourth Olympic team in 2004. Relishing her role as an elder stateswoman on the team, Thompson was able to finish her career feeling like she had given back to the sport that had given so much to her. She won two more medals in Athens, bringing her Olympic medal count to 12 – more than any other U.S. swimmer, male or female.
The Olympic legend regularly speaks on her evolving role as part of the U.S. National Team, sharing leadership secrets, success stories and her role as a trailblazer in women’s athletics with students, corporations and organizations.
The Inspiration Continues
While Thompson is an inspiration to countless numbers of children, especially young girls, her personal inspiration came closer to home. She was raised by a single mother, Margrid, who made many sacrifices to give Thompson and her three older brothers opportunities to succeed.
Margrid battled esophageal cancer for years, passing away in February 2004. Thompson kept her mom’s memory close to her heart while competing in her final Olympics later that summer. She appreciates the opportunity her swimming success has given her to raise awareness and funding for cancer research. She has volunteered for Swim Across America, an organization that raises money for cancer research.
Thompson also places great importance on her position as a role model for young girls. She is an Athlete Ambassador for Right to Play, a worldwide humanitarian organization that uses sport and play to build life skills and foster peace for children and communities ravaged by poverty, war and disease. Thompson also serves on the board of her home swim team, Seacoast Swimming Association, and volunteered to promote a new aquarium/ecology learning center in New Hampshire.
Currently Thompson is an anesthesiologist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She graduated from Columbia Medical School in 2006 and interned at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
