Athletes to Watch: Sheila Taormina
August 5, 2008 by Sandy Mitchell
Filed under Sports Rumors
Sheila Taormina, 39, from Livonia, Michigan is the first female athlete to qualify for three Olympic sports, but her choices have required her to perfect nine different sports activities. Amazing!
Taormina won Gold in 1996 as part of the women’s 4×200m freestyle relay. She then competed in the 2000 and 2004 Games as a tri-athlete (cycling, running, and open-water swimming), finishing sixth in 2000 and 23rd in 2004.
Taormina switched to the Modern Pentathlon in 2005 (shooting, fencing, pool-swimming, horse-riding, and cross-country running) and won the senior women’s division at the 2005 Pan American Championships.
We are so excited here in California for the 2008 games and sport of Modem Pentathlon- maybe this time NBC can give it some good coverage. Shelia is super but I meet Margaux Isaksen out in California this past week and she is the athlete to watch. She is kind and focused and I think will soon be the best in the world. I have a daughter that meet her too and now we are going to take up the sport. Margaux is a great role-model .Now the sport of Modern Pentathlon has a great chance of making strong impression here in the states this year…. Finally!
Check out NBC to see both of the team USA women and the USA men too.
Go Team USA