Maritza Correia biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Born on December 23, 1981, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Maritza Correia is best known for being the first African-American woman to make the U.S. Olympic swimming team and the first black female swimmer to break an American  and world record. An inspiration to many in the world of competitive sports, Correia grew up in Florida with her parents and two older brothers. Athletics runs in the family. From Guyana, her parents were educated in England, where her mother played tennis at the University of London, and her father was on the crew team.

At the suggestion of her doctor, Correia started swimming when she was seven years old. She had scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature of the spine, and swimming helped correct the problem. Initially therapeutic, swimming became Correia's passion.

Foray into Competitive Swimming

In 1990, Correia joined the Brandon Blue Wave Swim Club, following in the footsteps of her older brother Justin. Sometimes the two siblings were only African-Americans in some of their competitions. She never let the fact that she was one of the few athletes of color engaged in the sport get her down. "Probably about one percent of the U.S. swimmers are black, so it gives you an incentive to go out there and show them that we can do it, too," Correia later said.

At Tampa Bay Technical High School, Correia continued to compete, becoming one of the state's top swimmers. She won the 100-meter freestyle event at the Florida state championships four times and made the 1997 national junior swim team. In 1999, Correia became the U.S. national champion of 50-meter freestyle event for swimmers aged 18 or younger. She graduated high school that year and moved up to college-level swimming competitions while attending the University of Georgia.

After a failed attempt to make the 2000 U.S. Olympic Swim Team, Correia slipped into a depression, which lasted several months. "The one thing that got me through it was that I had the collegiate season right after the Olympics...being around my teammates and having their support along with my coaches helped me pull out of it," she told the St. Petersburg Times in 2008.

Setting Records

Getting back on track, Correia began a training regime consisting of swimming 14,000 meters per day, six days a week. This meant she spent about five hours in the water each day. Her hard work paid off, as she won a gold and silver medal at the 2001 World Championships for the 800-meter freestyle relay and the 400-meter freestyle relay respectively. She went on to set two records at the 2002 Women's NCAA Championships in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. The following year, Correia brought home another gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay at the World Championships.

Making Olympic History

In 2004, Correia made history as the first African-American woman to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic Swim Team.