Tracy Anne Stockwell, OAM, (born January 11, 1963), née Tracy Anne Caulkins, is an American former competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, three-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion, and former world record-holder in three events. Caulkins was noted for her versatility and ability in all four major competitive swimming strokes: the

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

breaststroke Breaststroke is a human swimming, swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to the swimmer's head being out of the water a large portion of the time, and ...

backstroke Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four Swimming (sport), swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disa ...

and freestyle. Caulkins won forty-eight national championships and set American records in all four strokes over a range of distances as well as in the individual medley (IM) events, which combine all four strokes over the course of a single race. Her versatility brought Caulkins many titles and awards, and as a result she is considered one of the greatest swimmers of all time. By the time she retired from competitive swimming in 1984, Caulkins had set five

world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

and sixty-three American records (more than any other American swimmer, male or female).

Early years

Caulkins was born in

Winona, Minnesota Winona ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, United States. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota), Sugar Loaf. The population was 2 ...

, in 1963. She swam for the Westside Victory Swim club and later the Nashville Aquatic Club (NAC) in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, where she was trained by future University of Texas and U.S. Olympic coach Paul Bergen.Caroline R. Adams,
A Level-Headed Champion
" ''The Harvard Crimson'' (April 8, 1981). Retrieved November 24, 2014. For her high school education, she attended the all-girls Harpeth Hall School in Nashville.E. M. Swift,
Tracy Caulkins: 'I Could Be Over The Hill In 1984'
" ''Sports Illustrated'' (July 21, 1980). Retrieved November 24, 2014. Caulkins's older sister Amy was also a competition swimmer and water polo player.

Olympic desire

As a 9-year-old, Caulkins had been training as a swimmer for a little over a year when she watched the

1972 Munich Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

on television, and decided that she wanted to swim in the Olympics and win a gold medal.Julian M. Pleasants, ''Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida'', University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, p. 276 (2006). In a 1997 interview, Caulkins credited her Olympic dream as her inspiration and motivation. Thirteen-year-old Caulkins competed in her first U.S. national swimming championships in 1976. A year later, she returned to the 1977 U.S. Short-Course Championships to set U.S. records in the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medley events.Jerry Kirshenbaum,
They're Bracing for Berlin
," ''Sports Illustrated'' (August 29, 1977). Retrieved November 24, 2014. She set a third U.S. record while finishing second behind Canadian swimmer Robin Corsiglia in the 100-yard breaststroke. At the age of 15, Caulkins won five gold medals and a silver medal at the 1978 World Championships in West Berlin.Jerry Kirshenbaum,
Uncle Sam's Girls Play It Again
," ''Sports Illustrated'' (September 4, 1978). Retrieved November 24, 2014. She won the 200-meter individual medley, the 400-meter individual medley, and the 200-meter butterfly, and was a member of the winning U.S. teams in the 4×100-meter medley relay, and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In the process, she set four world records and one American record. Largely as a result of her performance in Berlin, Caulkins won the 1978 James E. Sullivan Award, given by the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

in recognition of the most outstanding American amateur athlete of the year.Associated Press,
Sports News Briefs; Tracy Caulkins, Swimmer, Gets Sullivan Award at 16
" ''The New York Times'' (February 9, 1979). Retrieved November 24, 2014.AAU Sullivan Memorial Award, Past Winners

Retrieved July 25, 2011. At 15 years old, she was the youngest-ever recipient of the Sullivan Award.Frank Litsky,

" ''The New York Times'' (January 7, 1981). Retrieved November 24, 2014. She followed her World Championship success with a series of dominating finishes in U.S. competition. At the 1979 U.S. Short-Course Championships in East Los Angeles, California, she set five U.S. records in the 100-yard breaststroke, 500-yard freestyle, the 400-yard individual medley, the 200-yard individual medley, and the 100-yard freestyle on the first leg of the 400-yard relay.Joe Jares,
Caulkins Gave 'em Five
" ''Sports Illustrated'' (April 23, 1979). Retrieved November 24, 2014. She also helped her club team, Nashville Aquatic, win the 400-yard medley relay and place second in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Despite setting the new records, however, she was not at her physical best; she was suffering from the after-effects of a viral infection. Three months later, she won four gold medals and two silvers at the

1979 Pan American Games The 1979 Pan American Games, officially the VIII Pan American Games () and commonly known as San Juan 1979, were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization (PASO), and were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to Jul ...

in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Following her gold-medal performance at the 1978 World Championship, Caulkins was expected to win multiple medals at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

in Moscow, USSR, and qualified to compete in five individual events at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and likely would have been selected as a member of one of the relay teams as well. However, the U.S. Olympic team and 65 other nations

boycotted A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict ...

the 1980 Games following the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

's 1979

invasion An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. Caulkins's dream of Olympic gold was deferred by war and politics, so she quietly looked ahead to 1984. As an 18-year-old high school senior, she set four American short-course records at the 1981 U.S. Short-Course Championships in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Demmie Stathoplos,
She Pooled Her Talents: The Short Course Championships were a showcase for versatile Tracy Caulkins
" ''Sports Illustrated'' (April 20, 1981). Retrieved November 24, 2014. In each of the four events, she bettered her own previously set American record: the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard backstroke, the 200-yard individual medley, and the 400-yard individual medley. Over the next three years, Caulkins maintained her training regimen while attending the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

in Gainesville, Florida, where she swam for coach Randy Reese's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) competition from 1982 to 1984.
Florida Swimming & Diving 2014–15 Media Supplement
'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 82, 83, 87, 91, 92, 93, 95, 97, 99 (2014). Retrieved March 7, 2015. Caulkins followed her older sister Amy to the University of Florida, where Amy was already an established member of the Florida Gators swim team. With Caulkins leading the way as a freshman, the Gators won the NCAA team championship in 1982; the Gators finished second in 1983 and third in 1984. Individually, in three years as a Gator swimmer, she won sixteen NCAA championships and twelve

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

(SEC) individual titles, and received twenty-one

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors. She was the SEC's Female Swimmer of the Year in 1983 and 1984, and was recognized as the SEC's Female Athlete of the Year in 1984. She was the recipient of the

Honda Sports Award The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in t ...

for Swimming and Diving for three consecutive years, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year. At the 1982 U.S. Short-Course Championships in Gainesville, the 19-year-old again won national championships in the 200-yard backstroke, 400-yard individual medley, the 200-yard individual medley, and the 100-yard breaststroke.Craig Neff,
Some Old and Some New
," ''Sports Illustrated'' (April 19, 1982). Retrieved November 24, 2014. With thirty-nine national championships to date, Caulkins surpassed the legendary Johnny Weissmuller's record total of thirty-six. Even as she continued to win against fellow Americans in 1982 and 1983, however, she was slumping and falling behind her international competition. She set no new international records, and was increasingly frustrated with her own performances.Demmie Stathoplos,
A Pool Party With Records
," ''Sports Illustrated'' (August 15, 1983). Retrieved November 24, 2014. At the 1982 World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, she finished a distant third in both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events against her East German competition, and failed to place in the third event in which she was entered. At the 1983 U.S. Long-Course Championships in Fresno, California, she finished five seconds slower than her own American record in the 400-meter individual medley and finished second behind Mary T. Meagher in the 200-meter butterfly. At the

1983 Pan American Games The 1983 Pan American Games, officially known as the IX Pan American Games () and commonly known as Caracas 1983, were held in Caracas, Venezuela from August 14 to August 29, 1983. The games were the first major international competition to inclu ...

in Caracas, Venezuela, held later the same month, she likewise won her two signature events in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley, but did not approach her own personal bests. Afterward, Caulkins rededicated herself to coach Randy Reese's rigorous training methods. In an international invitational meet of 26 nations held in Austin, Texas, in January 1984, she defeated her East German rivals in both individual medley events. At the NCAA national championships later that spring, she won four individual titles in the 200- and 400-yard individual medleys, 100-yard breaststroke, and 200-yard butterfly, and was a member of the Gators' winning relay teams in the 4×100-yard and 4×200-yard freestyle events. She set new NCAA records in three events, and a new American record in the 200-yard individual medley. At the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

in Los Angeles, California, Caulkins served as the captain of the U.S. women's swim team,Margaret D. Binnicker,
Tracy Caulkins Stockwell
" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', Tennessee Historical Society, Nashville, Tennessee (2011). Retrieved November 24, 2014. and finally realized her childhood dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. On July 29, she won her first gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley, beating Australian Suzie Landells by over nine seconds. On August 3, she won her second gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley with an Olympic record time of 2:12.64, besting fellow American Nancy Hogshead by over two and a half seconds. And later that same day, she won her third gold medal by swimming the breaststroke leg as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 400-meter medley relay, together with teammates Theresa Andrews (backstroke), Mary T. Meagher (butterfly), and Nancy Hogshead (freestyle).databaseOlympics.com, Athletes
Tracy Caulkins
. Retrieved July 12, 2010. She also finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke, one second behind winner Petra van Staveren. Caulkins ended her competition swimming career having set five world records and sixty-three American records, and having won forty-eight national championship titles.

Life after competition swimming

In the aftermath of the 1984 Olympics, the 21-year-old Caulkins decided to forgo her senior year of NCAA eligibility at the University of Florida to focus on completing her degree requirements, and announced her retirement from competition swimming. She graduated from Florida with her bachelor's degree in broadcasting in 1985, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great." Caulkins was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1983, the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

in 1990, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. She married Mark Stockwell, an Olympic Swimming Medalist from

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and a fellow University of Florida

alumnus Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

, and has lived in Australia since shortly after graduating from the University of Florida.Sam Hovland,
Caulkins still holding down records: Former Florida swimmer held five world, 63 American marks
," NCAA.com (March 26, 2012). Retrieved November 24, 2012. They live in

Queensland, Australia Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

, with their five children. Caulkins is now an American-Australian dual citizen. In 2008, she was recognized, under her married name, Tracy Anne Stockwell, "For service to sport as an administrator and proponent of sporting opportunities for women" with the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

by the Australian government. After receiving the medal, the American transplant described herself as "one proud Australian."

World records

Women's 200-meter butterfly Women's 200-meter individual medley Women's 400-meter individual medley Women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay Note: All record times and locations are sourced to USA Swimming's list of world records.USASwimming
Women's Records
. Retrieved November 24, 2014.

References

Bibliography

* Caraccioli, Jerry, & Tom Caraccioli, ''Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games'', New Chapter Press, Washington, D.C. (2009). . * Pleasants, Julian M., ''Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida'', University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (2006). .

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Caulkins, Tracy 1963 births Living people American emigrants to Australia American female backstroke swimmers American female breaststroke swimmers American female butterfly swimmers American female freestyle swimmers American female medley swimmers Florida Gators women's swimmers World record setters in swimming James E. Sullivan Award recipients Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming People from Winona, Minnesota Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Swimmers from Nashville, Tennessee Swimmers at the 1984 Summer Olympics World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1979 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1983 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in swimming Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year winners 20th-century American sportswomen