De Varona, Donna

Donna de Varona, (born April 26, 1947, San Diego, California, U.S.), American athlete and sportscaster who, after a record-breaking amateur career as a swimmer, established herself as an advocate for women’s and girls’ sports opportunities.

De Varona became a household word among Olympic Games enthusiasts in 1960 when, at age 13, she became the youngest member of the U.S. swimming team at the Rome Olympics. Four years later, at the Tokyo Olympics, she won two gold medals—in the 400-metre individual medley and in the 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay—and by age 17 she had broken 18 world records in swimming.

After her Olympic triumph she retired from competition. Soon thereafter she was hired as a television commentator; she was the first woman to serve that function on network television. De Varona also became a vocal proponent of the principles ultimately embodied in Title IX legislation guaranteeing that no one shall because of sex be denied participation in any educational program (including sports programs at educational institutions) receiving direct federal aid. As a consultant to the Senate from 1976 to 1978, she also became involved with the legislative development of the U.S. Amateur Sports Act. Together with tennis great Billie Jean King and others, de Varona organized the Women’s Sports Foundation. She served as that organization’s first elected president (1976–84). De Varona graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a B.A. in political science in 1986.

After being fired by ABC Sports, the 52-year-old de Varona filed a lawsuit in 2000, alleging age and sex discrimination. However, she dropped the suit after the network rehired her in 2002. In addition to her television work, she continued to be involved in various efforts to promote women in sports. The recipient of numerous honours, de Varona was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003. Her sister, Joanna Kerns, was a noted actress.