Missy Franklin really stood out at
the 2012 Olympics for accomplishing so much at the age of 17. She took home
five medals (four gold) and set an individual world record in the 200-meter
backstroke. She not only set the record, she was the first American to even win
the race in 40 years. Later, Franklin was later part of the 4x100-meter
medley relay squad that also set a new world record. Consequently,
Franklin has been the second most talked about swimmer after Michael Phelps!
Because of her efforts, the United States eventually beat out China and 202
other countries to win the overall medal count in the 2012 Olympic Games. In celebration of her success at the Olympics,
Frankin got a hip tattoo of
the Olympic rings! She said this would be her one and only tattoo,
emphasizing the importance this event has had in her life. These accomplishments weren’t possible if Franklin hadn’t
been motivated from a young age. Since Franklin was 6 months old, she’s loved
swimming. Franklin stated in an interview, “All I remember, is I just loved swimming more than anything.
I loved being in the water more than on land because I was so comfortable in
it.” It’s very inspiring to see that she’s
had these dreams to be a great summer from such a young age. But, I also think
great genes played a role because her 6’1 ft height and size 13 feet help her
swim faster. Furthermore, I found the advice six-time
gold medalist Amy Van Dyken told her very inspiring, because I can relate this
to my own life as I make my way through college. Dyken told her, "Race
your race and not the 'names' that may be next to you…Everyone is in the same
boat at this meet. So just remember that, no matter what you see or hear, have
a blast!” Something humorous I found out about Missy Franklin was that
shade a deal with her coach Todd Schmitz prior to the 2011 FINA World
Championships that he would have to shave off his moustache and goatee that he
had sported for several years if she won the three events she was competing in;
and she did! In addition, I found out
Missy loves The Hunger Games book
series, which is my favorite book! I’m coincidently doing my third assignment
on the movie based off of it too. Furthermore, she loves Tangled and Despicable Me,
which are both my favorite movies. Thus, she has my vote as one of my favorite
American athletes at the 2012 Olympics, on top of all her accomplishments. After
all this newfound success, Miss Franklin has been entertaining her fans like me
by appearing on an episode of Pretty
Little Liars and the MTV Video Music Awards. More recently, Missy
was accepted to UCLA on an athletic scholarship where she intends to study broadcast journalism or marine biology and
pursue a professional swimming career. I’m sure her career will only go up from here!
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