De Varona, Donna (1947–)

views updated

De Varona, Donna (1947–)

American swimmer. Born April 26, 1947, in San Diego, California; sister of actress Joanna Kerns; m. John Pinto (businessman).

Won gold medals in the 400-meter individual medley and 400-meter freestyle relay at Tokyo Olympics (1964); won 37 national swimming titles; broke 18 national and world records; was the 1st female sports commentator on network tv; co-founded and was president of the Women's Sports Foundation; played an active role in the passage of the Amateur Sports Act and getting Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 implemented.

See also Women in World History.

About this article

De Varona, Donna (1947–)

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article