Kathleen Baker

Inspirational swimmer Kathleen Baker won an Olympic gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay and the individual 100m silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She is the former world-record holder in the 4×100 meter medley relay (with Dana Vollmer, Lilly King, and Simone Manuel) and the former world-record holder in the individual 100m backstroke. Baker has overcome Chrohn’s disease to reach the pinnacle of her sport, never giving up despite fighting severe weight loss, nausea and regular stomach cramps. Just 12 years old when she was first diagnosed with the illness, she has become an inspiration to children everywhere, showing them that they can still achieve their dreams whilst living with a chronic illness.

The North Carolina native’s talent first shone through when she was at Forsyth Country Day School, and by tenth grade she was home-schooled so she could spend time travelling for her training at Swim MAC Carolina. By 12 years old she was a national champion, and despite her diagnosis of Chrohn’s disease she pushed ahead with her gruelling training schedule. In 2015 she attended the University of California and competed for the California Golden Bears swimming and diving team. In the same year she was selected to the 2015 World Championships roster, reaching the final of the 100-meter backstroke.

In 2016 Baker’s hard work paid off at the Olympics in Rio when she clinched the 100 meter backstroke silver medal in a time of 58.75, and also took home a gold medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay. Although many people (including herself) had doubted she could ever become a professional athlete, Baker proved them wrong on the world’s biggest stage.