Melanie Valerio: Difference between revisions

 

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”’Melanie M. Valerio”’ (born May 7, 1969), also known is some media after 1995 as ”’Melanie Valerio Thomas”’ is an American former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]] who competed for the University of Virginia and was a 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.<ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51221|title=Olympedia Biography, Melanie Valerio|website=olympedia.org|access-date=December 14, 2025}}</ref>

”’Melanie M. Valerio”’ (born May 7, 1969), also known some media after 1995 as ”’Melanie Valerio Thomas”’ is an American former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]] who competed for the University of Virginia and was a 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.<ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51221|title=Olympedia Biography, Melanie Valerio|website=olympedia.org|access-date=December 14, 2025}}</ref>

===Early swimming===

===Early swimming===

American swimmer (born 1969)

Melanie Valerio

Full name	Melanie M. Valerio -Thomas
National team	United States
Born	(1969-05-07) May 7, 1969 (age 56)
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	146 lb (66 kg)
Sport	Swimming
Event(s)	100 freestyle, 4×100 freestyle relay
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Lake Erie Silver Dolphins
College team	University of Virginia
Coach	Jerry Haltry (Silver Dolphins) Jim Kehoe (U. Virginia)

Melanie M. Valerio (born May 7, 1969), also known in some media after 1995 as Melanie Valerio Thomas is an American former competition swimmer who competed for the University of Virginia and was a 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.^[1]

Valerio was born in Campbell, Ohio on May 7, 1969. In early competition at the age of 12, she swam for the Penguin Aquatic Club in the 11-12 age group at the Friendly House Annual Swim Meet, where she swam a 27.002 in the 50 freestyle, a 58.026 in the 100 freestyle, and a 29.741 in the 50 butterfly. She later graduated in 1987 from the Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio. In club swimming, Valerio swam for the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, where she, and nearly all of her Hawken’s women’s High School team were coached by Coach Jerry Haltry. The Silver Dolphins swam to a ninth place finish in the National Junior Olympics in 1984.^[2] Melanie also swam for Coach Haltry, an American Swimming Coaches Hall of Fame Inductee, at the Hawken School, where he led the Hawken Women’s team to the team title in the Ohio State Swimming Championships in both 1984 and 1985. Hawken coached the Hawken swim team from 1969-2014, leading the men’s and women’s teams to a combined 26 state titles, of which 24 of his titles were won by his women’s team.^[3][1]

At the North-Northeast Ohio District Swimming Championships in February 1985, representing Hawken School as a Sophomore, Melanie won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.92, and the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.33^[4][5] Earning titles at the 1985 Ohio State Championships, Valerio placed third in the 100 freestyle with a 51.52, and swam anchor in the 4×100 freestyle relay with a team time of 3:32.57, a state meet record.^[6]

After High School, she attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she swam for the Virginia Cavaliers swimming and diving team under accomplished coach Frank Kehoe. During her collegiate career, Valerio captured a total of seven titles in Atlantic Coast Conference competition. Diverse in her contributions to Virginia, she earned All American honors during her collegiate swimming career in six events, and served as team captain for the 1990-91 school year. After completing her Bachelor’s degree, she earned a master’s in Exercise Physiology from Virginia.^[7][7]

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Valerio earned a gold medal by swimming the anchor leg for the winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay.^[1]

In International competition, Valerio won gold in the 4×100 freestyle relay at the World Championships in 1998. In a more notable international achievements, between 1993-1997, she captured four relay gold medals at the Pan Pacific Championships.^[1]

She has represented Hillenbrand swimming from the University of Arizona Hillenbrand Aquatic Center, primarily in mid-1990’s.^[1]

Valerio qualified to compete at the 2000 Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis, Indiana, and finished ninth in the 100-meter swim event, just missing the finals.^[8]

Melanie has competed in United States Masters Swimming, primarily in freestyle events from 2005-2021, between the ages of 35-43, though she competed in a more recent race at the age of 52.^[9] Valerio has raced Ironman as a highly competitive age-group member of the Timex Multisport Team, and has served as a Timex instructor for fitness. She has blogged her races and training for Timex.^[7]

Relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in August, 2002, she worked performing clinical trials for drug companies looking for approval from the FDA. In 2002, Valerio began training for marathons.^[8]

Valerio was an Atlantic Coast Conference Swimmer of the year in 1990.^[1] In 2014, Valerio was inducted into the Hawken High School Hall of Fame.^[3]