ARLINGTON, VA—Several Catholic high school students had interesting stories to tell this fall about what they did during their summer vacation: They competed in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.
While some of the young athletes returned with medals to show their classmates, all brought back lifelong memories of what it's like to represent their country and participate in a sport they love on an international stage.
"Along with their families and communities, we're proud of the Catholic school students who participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They exemplify the students at Catholic schools across the country who work hard to develop their skills and talents and do their best in whatever endeavors they pursue," said Dr. Karen Ristau, president of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). "Catholic schools provide a well-rounded education that emphasizes educating the whole person—spiritually, intellectually and physically."
Among the Catholic school students who made the trek to London was Missy Franklin, who started her senior year at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colo., with a handful of Olympic medals. The 17-year-old swimmer won gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke, 4x200 medley relay, 200-meter backstroke and 4x100-meter medley relay and a bronze in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, setting new world and Olympic records in the process. After post-Olympic appearances at events such as the Stand Up to Cancer telethon and Denver Broncos season opener, Franklin has returned her focus to classes at Regis Jesuit, swim practice and college visits.
Katie Ledecky, at 15 the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team, made a splash at the London games by winning a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle, breaking the U.S. record set in the event in 1989. Although swimming takes up much of her time, the sophomore at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Md., considers her education her primary focus. She also serves on the Stone Ridge Campus Ministry Board, which helps plan school Masses and service projects.
Becca Meyers, a senior at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson, Md., won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley and a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle in the Paralympic Games. She also placed fifth in the 50-meter freestyle and ninth in the 100-meter breaststroke. The 17-year-old A-student was born profoundly deaf and has Usher Syndrome, which causes hearing loss and progressive vision loss. She has cochlear implants in both ears, which she removes when she swims.
Lia Neal, a 17-year-old senior at Convent of the Sacred Heart School in New York, N.Y., brought home a bronze medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. Only the second female of African-American descent to swim for the U.S. Olympic team, Neal plans to continue training for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Neal’s swimming career began at age six when she started taking lessons while a student at Transfiguration, a K-8 Catholic school in New York.
At 16, Pilar Shimizu is the youngest athlete ever to represent Guam at the Olympics. The senior at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School in Ordot is also the first female in 20 years to represent the island nation in swimming. An honors student who wants to study premed in college, Shimizu qualified for the Olympics by breaking the Guam record in the 100-meter breaststroke. She swam her personal best in the event to come in second in her qualifying heat in London, placing 42nd overall.
NCEA, founded in 1904, is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. NCEA’s 200,000 members include elementary schools, high schools, parish religious education programs and seminaries.
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Details on Catholic School Olympians and Paralympians
Name: Missy Franklin
Event: swimming
Medal or placement: bronze medal in 4x100-meter freestyle relay, gold medal in 100-meter backstroke, 4th place in 200-meter freestyle, gold medal in 4x200 medley relay, gold medal in 200-meter backstroke, gold medal in 4x100 medley relay
Age, year in school: 17, senior
School: Regis Jesuit High School
School address: 6400 S. Lewiston Way, Aurora, CO 80016
Phone: (303) 269-8100
Principal/president: Rev. Philip G. Steele, President
E-mail: psteele@regisjesuit.com
Name: Katie Ledecky
Event: swimming
Medal or placement: gold medal in 800-meter freestyle
Age, year in school: 15, sophomore
School: Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
School address: 9101 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (301) 657-4322
Principal/president: Catherine Ronan Karrels, Head of School
E-mail: ckarrels@stoneridgeschool.org
Name: Rebecca Meyers
Event: swimming
Medal or placement: bronze medal in 100-meter freestyle, silver medal in 200-meter individual medley, 5th place in 50-meter freestyle, 9th place in 100-meter breaststroke
Age, year in school: 17, senior
School: Notre Dame Preparatory School
School address: 815 Hampton Lane, Towson, MD 21286
Phone: (410) 825-6202
Principal/president: Sister Patricia McCarron, Headmistress
E-mail: not listed
Name: Lia Neal
Event: swimming
Medal or placement: bronze medal in 4x100-meter freestyle relay
Age, year in school: 17, senior
School: Convent of the Sacred Heart
School address: 1 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128
Phone: (212) 722-4745
Principal/president: Joseph J. Ciancaglini, Head of School
E-mail: jciancaglini@cshnyc.org
Name: Pilar Shimizu
Event: swimming
Medal or placement: 42nd in 100-meter breaststroke
Age, year in school: 16, senior
School: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School
School address: 131 Judge Sabian Street, Ordot, Guam 96910 or PO Box AC Hagåtña, Guam 96932
Phone: (671) 473-7821
Principal/president: Pilar Perez Williams, President and CEO, and Dr. Hauhouot Diambra-Odi, Principal
E-mail: info@staguam.com
National Catholic Educational Association
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