Wonder Woman of the Week: Missy Franklin

When I was seventeen, my biggest achievement was winning a beginners fencing tournament. For Missy Franklin, it was setting the new world record for 200m backstroke at the London Olympics in 2012. At just seventeen, Missy Franklin competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics before graduating high school which admittedly makes me feel pretty unaccomplished. Franklin is the daughter of two Canadian citizens born in the US giving her dual citizenship. When her life-long swimming coach in Colorado told her she was good enough to compete in qualifications for the Olympics, Franklin's mother told her to represent Canada so she could more easily qualify for the games. Franklin however is no short-cut taking woman and decided to attempt to qualify as a US athlete- which for swimming is tremendously difficult especially for a young woman still in high school. After showing her country of birth what she was capable of in the qualifiers, Franklin made the US team and went on to represent the United States in the London Olympics. Not only did she win a record setting number of medals for a female swimmer, she also broke the world record for 200m backstroke. Franklin has since won numerous international medals in competition, has won the Sportswoman of the Year Award from Women's Sports Foundation, and gives back to charity by working to help Multiple Sclerosis patients by teaching them how to swim. There's no doubt Franklin will be competing in the 2016 Rio Games and will certainly be an athlete to watch. To read more about this Wonderful athlete, follow this link http://www.biography.com/people/missy-franklin-20903291