MARY T. MEAGHER

July 10, 2018 –  Olympic Gold Medalists  Mary T. Meagher and Kelsi Worrell Dahlia dove deep into their stories about life in, out, and after the pool in a conversation with WHAS 11’s Whitney Harding.

 “Every athlete I’ve ever known had some form of weakness, be it in terms of motivation, technique or physical attributes, but Mary was the exception.” - Dennis Pursley, Coach, Lakeside Aquatic Club

Mary T. was born in Louisville, Kentucky on October 27, 1964 — the 10th of 11 children. She started her swimming career early at the River Road Country Club, and later swam for the Lakeside swim team. She attended high school at Sacred Heart Academy and went to college at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences. The Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center in Louisville, Ky is named in her honor.

Mary T. won three Olympic Gold medals in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, nine World Championship medals, and 24 U.S. national swimming titles. She held world records in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly for nearly two decades, and is considered to be the greatest female butterfly specialist of all time. She is nicknamed “Madame Butterfly.”

Mary T. now lives in Peachtree, Georgia with her husband, Mike Plant, and their two children. She dedicates her time to her family and to sharing her cheerful smile, kind personality, and motivating attitude as a Girl Scout leader.