Donna Devarona

Donna de Varona, born April 26, 1947, began her competitive swimming career at a young age, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in 1960 at just 13. While she participated in preliminary heats at the 1960 Rome Olympics, her signature event, the 400-meter individual medley, was not yet an Olympic event. By the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, de Varona had established herself as a dominant force in swimming, having set 18 world records. At these games, she secured two gold medals: one in the 400-meter individual medley, where she set an Olympic record, and another as part of the world-record-setting 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. Following her retirement from competitive swimming in 1965, de Varona embarked on a trailblazing career in sports broadcasting. At 17, she became one of the first women sportscasters for a national network, appearing on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Her broadcasting career spanned over 30 years and included covering 17 Winter and Summer Olympic Games for networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and Turner. She earned an Emmy and two Gracie Awards for her work. In 2000, she filed a lawsuit against ABC Sports alleging sex and age discrimination, which was later settled in 2002 when she was rehired as an ABC & ESPN liaison for domestic and international sports, and took on on-air roles for specific events.

Beyond her media career, de Varona has been a vocal advocate for sports and fitness opportunities for youth, particularly for women. She served five terms on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under multiple presidential administrations. As a consultant to the U.S. Senate, she played a key role in the passage of the 1978 Amateur Sports Act, which reformed the governance of Olympic sports in the U.S., and later advised on amendments to this legislation. She also actively promoted and defended Title IX of the Equal Education Amendments Act, advocating for equal opportunities in sports for women. In 1974, she co-founded the Women’s Sports Foundation with Billie Jean King, serving as its first president from 1979 to 1984, and later as chairman and honorary trustee. Under her leadership, the foundation launched various initiatives, including the Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner and programs for travel and training grants, raising over $30 million for its causes. She also contributed to the establishment and funding of both the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency. From 1997 to 1999, de Varona chaired the organizing committee for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, recognized as a significant success for women’s sports. Her work has been recognized with the Olympic Order, induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She is also a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Award and the Flo Hyman Memorial Award. De Varona continues her advocacy as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Women and Sports Commission, and as a board member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and the executive board of Special Olympics International.