Allison Schmitt

Allison Schmitt is among the most decorated American swimmers in Olympic history, having competed in four Olympic Games and earning 10 Olympic medals. Specializing in freestyle events, Schmitt made her Olympic debut at the Beijing Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal as a member of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. At the London Summer Olympics, she won five medals, including three golds in the 200-meter freestyle—where she set a new Olympic record—the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, and the 4x100-meter medley relay, which set a new world record. Schmitt has held the American record in the 200-meter freestyle since that time.

Schmitt continued her success at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, earning gold in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay and silver in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, serving as captain of the U.S. Olympic swim team. She became a two-time captain for the U.S. Olympic swim team at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Across major international competitions, Schmitt has won 25 medals: 13 gold, nine silver, and three bronze, spanning the Summer Olympics, FINA World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships, and Pan American Games. At the collegiate level, she was a four-time NCAA national champion in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events and contributed to the Georgia Bulldogs' NCAA Division I Women's team title. Schmitt was named SwimSwam's Swammy Award winner for Female Swimmer of the Year.

Beyond her achievements in swimming, Schmitt is recognized for her advocacy in mental health awareness among athletes. After the London Olympics, she faced significant emotional challenges transitioning from Olympic competition to everyday life. In response to the suicide of her cousin, April Bocian, Schmitt began publicly sharing her experiences with mental health, aiming to humanize athletes and encourage others to seek support. Her openness contributed to reducing stigma around depression in sports and inspired other athletes to address their mental health. Schmitt received USA Swimming's Perseverance Award and used the platform to advocate for structured post-Olympic mental health support for athletes.

Schmitt has served as a chairperson at SAMHSA and National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day and has been featured in USA Today, ESPN, Forbes, and Women's Health Magazine discussing her mental health journey. She participated as a panelist at "Mental Wellness and the Student-Athlete," an event through the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's youth sport outreach program. Schmitt earned a master's degree in social work from Arizona State University and serves as chief empowerment officer at SURGE, a free girls sports program offered by BSN Sports that supports female athletes ages 12 to 18. Her background in social work and her advocacy continue to influence the conversation around athlete mental health and youth sports participation.