Hall of Fame

With her eight gold medals and 12 overall medals, Jenny Thompson has won more Olympic medals than any other female swimmer in Olympic history. Born in Danvers, Massachusetts, to a single mother, Thompson earned a scholarship to Stanford University. She went on to compete at four Olympic Games, winning each of her eight gold medals in relay events. One of her biggest accomplishments came in 1999, when Thomson broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly and broke a nearly 20-year record previously held by her, idol Mary T. Meagher. She made the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Team while studying as a medical student. Thompson won two silver medals at the Athens 2004 Games in the 4x100 freestyle and medley relays and retired afterwards. She continues to practice as a physician, specializing as a pediatric anesthesiologist. A recreation center in Dover, New Hampshire, bears her name and Thompson continues to help at an annual camp held there.