Olympic Gold Medalist Dara Torres to Speak at Kirkland House Tuesday

Photo courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Four-time Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres will speak at the Kirkland House, as part of the "Conversations with Kirkland" series, Tuesday, Feb. 2 at noon.

A 12-time Olympic medalist, Torres, one of the fastest female swimmers in America, Torres began international competition at age 14 and has competed in five Olympic Games.  At the age of 41, and eight years between Olympic appearances, Torres won three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, two in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100 medley relay, as well as the 50m freestyle race.  Her second place finish in the 50m also marked her highest ever finish in an individual event at an Olympics.

Outside of the pool, Torres has worked as a TV commentator for Good Morning America, ESPN, TNT and Fox News Channel.  In 2009, she was named one of the Top Female Athletes of the Decade by Sports Illustrated and won the Best Comeback Award at the 17th annual ESPY Awards.  Torres is currently working on her second fitness book to be released in the summer of 2010.