Kirsty Leigh Coventry has earned more Olympic medals than any other athlete in Africa. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, she has already competed in four Olympic Games, won seven Olympic medals, broken seven world records, been nominated as the African Swimmer of the Year on five separate occasions and then her most recent tribute has seen her elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee where she will serve for an eight year term. Not bad for a girl from a small, landlocked country in Southern Africa! The unstoppable Kirsty has her 5th Olympic games in Rio 2016 in her crosshairs.
From the age of 9 when she declared that she wanted to win an Olympic medal, her dream has seen her gracing world stages competing with the best of the best in the swimming world and mentioned in records with swimming greats like Michael Phelps and others who have made sporting history. Kirsty is an African hall of famer in the making and deserves a place atop African sporting royalty as truly “Africa’s Golden girl” since her first Olympics in Sydney at the age of 16.
Having grown without a role model as a child, Kirsty took it upon herself in 2013 to conduct a nationwide tour in her home country, Zimbabwe, reaching out to schools in rural areas to inspire children to dream big and follow their passions. Her message to the youth, succinct and delivered with crystal clarity, was profoundly simple: Believe in yourself, work hard and persevere. All the values she knows very well having started swimming at only 18 months old!
Kirsty is tied 1st for the most individual swimming medals of all females in Olympic history, highest number of Olympic medals in African history and ranked 2nd in the world to Michael Phelps for the most number of Olympic swimming medals held by an individual, both male and female. Besides all the swimming accolades, she holds a Bachelor of Human Science Hotel and Restaurant Management degree from Auburn University in the US.
Fearless in the pool and not at all allergic to silverware judging by her record haul of 39 medals (21 gold, 16 silver and 2 bronze) so far, there is but one tiny phobia for this colossus of human achievement in sport that keeps her human – snakes! Bring on Brazil in 2016!
fabulouswomanmagazine 