Maritza Correia

What she did

• She broke a world record and won a olympic gold medal.

Who she is

• -she was born on December 23, 1981, in san juan, puerto rico.
• -Her parents are Vincent and Anne correia.
• - She has one older brother, justin.
• -She married chad mcclendon.
• - She has one son.

Why she is SIGNIFICANT

• She was the first African American woman to Make the u.s. women's olympic swim team. She was also the first African american woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal and break a world record in swimming. She wanted to show the world what she could do.

BACKGROUND Information

• -at age 8 she joined the brandon blue swim club.
• -she swam at Tampa bay technical high school and became one of the state's top swimmers.
• -she attended the university of georgia and continued competitive swimming.
• -she suffered from depression after failing to make the us olympic team in 2000.

Facts

• -when she was seven she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis.
• -About 1 percent of swimmers are African american.

What CAREER is she associated with

• -she has done swimming her whole life.
• -she is a spokesperson for usa swimming and the women's sports foundation.
• -she travels speaking to inner-city kids about her experiences and encourages them to try swimming.
• -She promotes nike swimwear.

How she changed or influenced society

• She began swimming as a child because of a severe medical condition and suffered with depression at one point in her life. with the support of her family, team, and coach she overcame these obstacles and went on to become a historical figure for african americans. She changed society by showing that she could overcome all obstacles.

Why should we celebrate her

• We should celebrate her because she overcame obstacles in her life and became great at a sport that only few african americans participate. She was someone who worked hard to achieve her goals and never gave up.

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