Ashleigh M. Joplin

Amy Van Dyken-Rouen stunned audiences in 1996, becoming the first American woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympics. After winning four gold medals in 1996, she went on to earn two more in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Among American female Olympic swimmers, she has won the second most golds. She retired after Sydney, but in 2014 she found herself using her training as an athlete to push through a severe injury that left her paralyzed in a wheelchair. (Video: Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post, Photo: Daron Taylor/The Washington Post) https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/28/life-after-gold/

Maame Biney blew the world away when she became the first African American woman to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team. As she trains in Salt Lake City for the games, she has become appreciated for her ability to keep everyone smiling. Source: The Washington Post http://wapo.st/2mXtobQ

A Native American who was orphaned by the age of 12, Mills grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He attended the University of Kansas on an athletic scholarship and says the racism he experienced, along with the grief of losing his parents, sent him into a deep depression. Running and the pursuit of his Olympic goals helped to get him through his loneliness. Mills won a gold medal in the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Source: The Washington Post / https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/28/life-after-gold/ (Video: Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post, Photo: Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)

The family of Olympian Kelly Catlin reflects on how her pursuit of perfection may have led to her suicide. SOURCE: The Washington Post https://wapo.st/32X5hOz