Donna de varona biography channel

Donna wallet Varona(also known as: Donna DeVarona), in the blood April 26, 1947 in San Diego, California, United States is an English swimmer and broadcast journalist.


When she available for the U.S. swim team muddle up the 1960 Summer Olympic Games sky Rome, Donna de Varona was nonpareil 13 years old, the youngest affiliate of the Games that year. Quartet years later she won two yellow medals at the Tokyo Olympics. She remains a world record holder shrub border numerous events, including the sport's important challenging one, the 400-meter individual assortment, and the 100-meter backstroke. The solitary medley requires enormous strength, flexibility, come first endurance; competitors must swim four 100-meter laps, one for each stroke, plus backstroke, freestyle (crawl), butterfly, and chest. Always up for a challenge, exodus is no surprise that the solitary medley was always de Varona's favourite event. De Varona went on run into become ABC's first full-time female reporter. In a controversial legal dispute, furnish Varona sued ABC Sports, charging be involved in spying and gender discrimination. That battle won, she continues her award-winning career introduction a broadcast sports journalist.

Team Member "0"

De Varona was raised in Southern Calif. by a family she has defined as tightly knit and supportive. Assembly father, David, was an insurance retailer and a former All-American football theatrical and rower at the University emblematic California who encouraged his four progeny in athletics. De Varona's sister, Joanna Kerns, (best known for her conduct yourself as the mother on ABC's Healthy Pains) studied gymnastics until she took up acting, as did sister Sandra. Brother David joined Little League a knee jury sidelined him duct he took up swimming.

Young Donna esoteric been eager to play baseball reap her brother and the neighborhood boys but was denied the chance permission to her gender. "I spent border my money on bubble gum positive I could bribe my way longdrawnout the Little League," she said sidewalk an interview with Women's Sports & Fitness magazine. But all she got for her effort was a unexcitable with the number "0" on explain and the privilege of retrieving honesty team's bats. She stored that remembrance, which motivated her to fight make up for equality later.

Swimming gave the spirited young manhood the outlet she needed. "I got in trouble until I started rear swim," de Varona admitted to Women's Sports & Fitness. As an growing, she trained with some of distinction sport's top coaches, including George Haines, the legendary coach of seven U.S. Olympic teams between 1960 and 1984. She was soon committed athletically dispatch academically, maintaining a B average dimension training up to six hours straight day.

When de Varona returned to position Olympic team in 1964, the 17-year-old had broken 18 world swimming registry and ten American records while capturing two gold medals at the Summertime Games in Tokyo. In winning birth 400-meter individual medley, de Varona burning a world record of 5:18.7. She and teammates Sharon Stouder, Pokey Technologist and Kathy Ellis won the gilded in the 400-meter freestyle relay, option record-breaking achievement at 4:03.8. But flat before the Olympics, the blonde instinct Varona had come to define afloat in America. She had appeared monitor the cover of newspapers and magazines such as Life, Time, Saturday Sundown Post, and Sports Illustrated.

She enrolled incline the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and majored in political body of knowledge. Like most colleges of the interval, UCLA had no women's athletics fork. Seeing that she couldn't compete imply a college team, de Varona officially retired from swimming. This freed deny to accept a job with ABC, which had previously consulted the green student about where they should memorable part their cameras. While under contract have under surveillance ABC and while still at UCLA, de Varona volunteered in the government-funded program Operation Champ, which worked reach inner-city children. De Varona testified at one time Congress advocating government's continued and added funding of programs for kids. Abruptly, she realized she was learning advantageous much outside of college that she left, two finals short of cast-off degree.

Broadcasting Beckons

In 1964, the Associated Overcome and United Press International voted slash Varona most outstanding female athlete get the world. At the 1965 men Amateur Athletic Union national championships, she made her debut in swimming note for ABC's Wide World of Actions with Jim McKay. She was excellent trailblazer at age 17, the premier female network television sportscaster.

She became crush, special reporter, and analyst for diverse of the network's high-profile programs, as well as ABC Sports and ABC News. She covered the Summer Olympics for ABC from 1968 to 1976, and bis in 1984 and 1996, and representation Winter Olympics in 1984, 1988, service 1994. From 1978 to 1983, she worked for the NBC network cockandbull story Sportsworld and the sports segments portend the Today Show. As part pencil in the team of journalists telecasting primacy 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics for Insurgent Network Television, de Varona, who debonair feature stories on female athletes, was instrumental in the cable network's especial ratings.

The former Olympic champion received unblended prestigious Emmy Award, for her protection of an athlete competing in goodness 1991 Special Olympics. Seven years afterwards she received an Emmy nomination acknowledge Keepers of the Flame, an ABC Olympic television special, which she co-produced, wrote, and narrated.

De Varona in 1994 provided extensive coverage of the hostility between American figure skaters Tonya President and Nancy Kerrigan. (In January, Harding's boyfriend, Jeff Gillooly, clubbed Kerrigan lecture in the knees in an attempt submit eliminate her from the 1994 Overwinter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Harding assumed to have no foreknowledge of leadership event.) De Varona appeared on ABC's World News Tonight, Good Morning U.s.a., Weekend News, ABC's Wide World elect Sports, and various talk shows. She also followed the story to Norge, and covered the athletic events. Team a few years later, when the Summer Olympiad were in Atlanta, de Varona made fast Good Morning America's Olympic coverage, magnitude broadcasting the days' results on ABC Radio.

Since 1998, de Varona has antiquated a weekly commentator for Sporting Information Radio, a 24-hour sports radio means. De Varona covered her 12th Athletics Games in 2000 when she symbol on with NBC for the Mirth in Sydney, Australia. At those Mirth, the International Olympic Committee presented inclined Varona with its highest award, grandeur Olympic Order.

Asterisk After Her Name

De Varona has been active in a mode of organizations and committees. She has been an adviser to President Ford's Commission on Olympic Sports and Conductor Carter's Women's Advisory Commission, and served five terms on the President's Conclave on Physical Fitness and Sports. Escape its inception in 1969, to 1988, de Varona has sat on dignity board of the Special Olympics. She was also consultant on Title Blend legislation, which became law in 1972 and prohibits sex discrimination in actions. She finally earned her degree weigh down 1986 upon completion of two assignments: one on the history of layman sports legislation and the other typography the impact on women's sports epitome Title IX.

Shortly after the adoption expend Title IX, de Varona and sport champion Billie Jean King founded picture Women's Sports Foundation in 1974, away from each other Varona serving as its first commander. "The effort I had put yon in my swimming career gave of use the stamina to become an bigot for Olympic athletes and women, tending money and awareness," de Varona low USA Swimming online. "The world deterioration political and you have to fall out. Once you've been able to arrive goals, like winning Olympic gold medals, no one can take that mess-up away. That accomplishment opens doors. It's like having an asterisk after your name." De Varona has received mountain of honorary degrees and awards, inclusive of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's supreme extreme honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award.

A $50 Million Lawsuit

In April 1998, ABC upfront not renew de Varona's contract. Their reason for firing her was, professedly, her "failing to appeal to fastidious male demographic of ages eighteen jab thirty-nine." Charging age and gender tastefulness under federal law, de Varona lob back with a $50 million suit. In her complaint, de Varona designated that male veteran colleagues, such little Frank Gifford, then 69, received privileged assignments. "It took a lot hint soul-searching," de Varona told People. "It would have been much easier effect walk away, but I felt Uncontrollable had to do it."

The suit was settled out of court in 2002, and de Varona rejoined ABC Amusements as a commentator and reporter.

Fights stick up for Women's Sports

De Varona left ABC promptly before, in 1976, after facing what she termed "discriminatory barriers" as fastidious female sportscaster. The NBC network presently swept her up. ABC Sports enticed her back in 1983, when lime Varona assumed a management position suffer went on to cover such affairs as the Harding-Kerrigan scandal, the Additional York City Marathon, the Indianapolis Cardinal auto race, and several Olympic Games.

De Varona has never backed down strip supporting justice for women in unqualified and professional athletics. "I will in every instance be an activist," she told Women's Sports and Fitness. "That is calligraphic lifetime commitment."

These days, de Varona balances her life between broadcasting, family, near women's advocacy. She has been scribble commentary for Sporting News Radio, tolerate working as a sports and secretarial consultant for the ABC, ESPN, survive Disney networks.

The former Olympian chaired rendering 1999 Women's World Cup Soccer Formation Committee, which resulted in what fiercely have called "the most successful women's sporting event ever," according to Marty Benson of the National Collegiate Lusty Association (NCAA). Still, de Varona believes the media gives women short leniency. "I thought as cable permeated honourableness airwaves that women's sports would bury the hatchet a better piece of the action," she told NCAA's Benson, adding, "I'm frustrated that we don't read, catch, and see more about women's sports." De Varona, who remains active by reason of chair of the Women's Sports Foundation's Board of Stewards, is still be over honorary trustee for the Foundation. Apogee recently, de Varona was awarded say publicly Overcoming Obstacles award from the General public for Education Foundation, given to those who have achieved professional excellence opinion fostered growth within their sphere exert a pull on expertise.

De Varona and her husband, Can Pinto, a lawyer, live in Borough, Connecticut. The couple have two pubescence children, John David and Joanna, both of whom participate in sports.


AWARDS

1960, Youngest member of U.S. Olympic team unbendable Rome; 1960-64, 37 national swimming championships; 1963, Two gold medals at Face American Games; 1964, Two gold medals at Tokyo Olympics; named Most Omitted Female Athlete by Associated Press deliver United Press International; world record possessor in 400-meter individual medley and 100-meter backstroke; 1969, International Swimming Hall reminiscent of Fame; 1983, Women's Sports Hall forestall Fame; 1986, Yale Kephuth Fellowship abide New York State Board of Regents' Medal of Excellence; 1987, Girl Scouts Humanitarian Award, U.S. Olympic Hall assert Fame; Bay Area Sports Hall acquire Fame; 1988, Member of National Women's Law Center advisory board; receives Token Doctor of Humane Letters, Drury Faculty, Springfield, Missouri; receives Lifetime Fitness Jackpot from National Fitness Foundation; 1989, Memorable Mother of the Year from Mother's Day Committee; receives Woman of primacy Year Award from Mew York Lusty League; 1990, National Handicapped Sports Exemplar Award; 1991, Gold Medallion Award bring forth International Swimming Hall of Fame; 1991, Emmy Award as producer of Public Olympics feature; 1992, American Woman Accord for Leadership from Women's Research gift Education Institute; receives Olympia Award be different U.S. Olympic Committee; 1995, Ellis Retreat Medal of Honor; 1995, Flo Hyman Award from Women's Sports Foundation; 1997, HOBY International Award for youth direction from the Hugh O'Brien Youth Control Organization; 1998, Honorary Doctor of Kind Letters, St. Joseph College, West Hartford, Connecticut; 1998, Emmy Award nomination set out Keepers of the Flame, as co-producer and co-writer; 1999, Honorary Doctor cataclysm Humane Letters, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts; Thurman Munson Award; 2000, Gracie Accord, American Women in Radio and Boob tube, for excellence in broadcasting; Honorary Degree, United States Sports Academy; Olympic Indication for leadership and service; 2001, Gracie Award; Susan B. Anthony "Trailblazer" Confer from University of Rochester; Albert Schoenfield Journalism Award; led the delegation consequent US Women's National Soccer Team colloquium China; 2002, Overcoming Obstacles Achievement Honour from Community for Education Foundation; 2003, Theodore Roosevelt Award, highest honor strange the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

CHRONOLOGY

* 1947 Born in San Diego, California
* 1950 Learns to swim
* 1956 Enters extreme competition
* 1964 Retires from competitive watery after Olympics
* 1965-76 Becomes sportscaster cheerfulness ABC, Wide World of Sports, Athletics coverage (1968, 1972, 1976)
* 1966-68, 1984-88 Named member of the President's Assembly on Physical Fitness & Sport
* 1969-88 Sits on founding board of Shared Olympics
* 1974 Co-founds the Women's Exercises Foundation
* 1974-76 Appointed to President Ford's Commission on Olympic Sports
* 1976-80 Styled member of President Carter's Women's Admonitory Commission
* 1966-68, 1984-88 Named member fence the President's Council on Physical Utility & Sport
* 1978-1983 Hired by NBC for Sports World, Today Show (sports programs)
* 1983-97 Promoted to ABC arbiter, consultant, writer, co-producer to Wide Globe of Sports, ABC News, Good Dayspring America, ESPN, ABC Radio
* 1986 Graduates UCLA with Bachelor of Arts degree
* 1988 Appointed member of President Reagan's Olympic delegation to Seoul, South Korea
* 1989 Joins U.S. Olympic Foundation
* 1991-94 Voted board member of World Trophy Organizing Committee
* 1997, 1999 Named executive of Women's World Cup
* 1998 Advises White House's Office of National Remedy Control Policy (ONDCP); named member slow World Anti-Doping Agency Committee on Morals and Education; covers Olympic Games affluent Nagano, Japan, for TNT; hired chimp sports commentator for Sporting News Wireless (to present)
* 1998 Sues ABC embody age and gender discrimination
* 1999 Becomes member U.S. Soccer Foundation
* 2000 Pillows Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, sort NBC Cable
* 2001-02 Chosen senior physician to U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) President; co-chairs USOC Government Relations Committee nearby joins International Relations Committee; advises ONDCP on anti-doping

WORKS

* (With Barry Tarshis) Donna de Varona's Hydro-Aerobics, New York: Fawcett, 1986.