|
Biography
THE NATURAL
The sports of swimming had some competition before it gained Olympic double-medalist Christine Magnuson’s full attention.
A fierce competitor with a love for athletics, Magnuson wanted to participate in as many sports as possible, but a rule set by her parents limited her to one at a time. A rotation between basketball, volleyball and swimming kept her busy year round in her youth.
Now, Magnuson still dedicates her entire year to athletics, but she is focused on one sport, swimming. The daughter of a swim coach and in the pool since she was three, Magnuson turned her dedication to the sport into international success. Having found her niche, Magnuson took silver medals in both the 100-meter fly and the 4x100 medley relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Knoxville, Tennessee native burst onto the scene by winning the 2008 NCAA National Championship in the 100-yard fly. Just months later the Tennessee Volunteer would win the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter butterfly, with a late push in the final 50-meters to beat out 2004 Olympic medalist Rachel Komisarz. Setting an Olympic Trials meet record and posting the third fastest time in the world and seventh fastest time in history, Magnuson won the preliminaries, semifinals and finals.
Prior to her back-to-back championships, Magnuson placed third at U.S. Nationals in the 100-meter fly and fifth in the 100-meter freestyle. Remarkable was the fact that Magnuson had never trained year round for swimming until college and never swam a long course until her sophomore year.
VOLUNTEER LEADER
A captain for the University of Tennessee swim team, Magnuson’s work ethic and leadership were legendary. While a specialist in the fly and freestyle, she was known for her ability to swim strong in every event.
In a sport made up of individual components, Magnuson developed best in a team atmosphere. Willing to help the team in any way, she would compete in as many relays as possible. Her dedication to the program helped elevate the swim team to new heights. When she arrived as a freshman, the school was ranked 24th in the nation, she left the Volunteers as one of the most illustrious swimmers in school history, on a top-10 squad.
In her collegiate career, Magnuson earned 23 All-American honors while being named the 2008 SEC Women’s Swimmer of the Year and posting eight school records. An exercise science major, Magnuson put equal effort into her studies as she did her training, earning SEC All-Academic honors and the honor of 2008 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.
While at Tennessee she was active in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, acting as a student representative to the athletic department. Her role in the SAAC led her to participate in numerous community service programs, including: the Relay for Life, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, student voting initiatives and numerous other events.
Magnuson plans to finish her degree in exercise science at Tennessee. While continuing her competitive swimming, she will help run swim camps, work with companies to help drive media and revenue and make numerous media appearances across the country.
Magnuson was raised in Palos Heights, Illinois and is a two-time individual state champion in swimming. She is passionate about supporting the city of Chicago in their candidacy for the 2016 Olympic Games.
|
