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Maya DiRado is a former competitive swimmer who represented the United States at several international championships the most notable of which was the 2016 Summer Olympics. Before turning pro, she had an illustrious college career at Stanford University where she won several NCAA titles. Though relatively shortlived, the highlight of DiRado’s professional career was at the 2016 Summer Olympics where she clinched a total of 4 medals. The talented athlete officially retired from the sport after the 2016 Olympics but has not stopped being relevant in the field. Here’s what she’s up to now.
Who is Maya DiRado? – Bio &Age
Maya DiRado was born Madeline Jane DiRado on born April 5, 1993, in Santa Rosa, California. She earned the moniker ‘Maya’ from her sister who could not pronounce ‘Madeline’. Maya started swimming at a very young age and by age 6, she became a member of the Santa Rosa Neptunes swim club alongside eventual Olympic teammate Molly Hannis.
She attended Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa. As a high school athlete, she won the 200-yard Individual Medley (IM) at 3 state championships. She equally set records for every age group in the different events she competed in. She finished the 200 yard IM with a time of 1:56.17 in her senior year, setting a new California high school record. She equally finished tops in the 100-yard freestyle event.
College Career
Upon graduation from high school, Maya DiRado towed the path of a long line of family members when she got into Stanford University. In her freshman year, she finished as the runner-up and second runner-up in the 200-yard IM and the 400 yard IM respectively at the 2011 Division 1 NCAA Championships.
As a sophomore, the talented youngster displayed even more finesse at the 2012 Division 1 NCAA Championships as she took 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions in the 200-yard backstroke, 200 yard IM and the 400 yard IM events respectively. In her junior year, DiRado finished second, third and fifth in the 400 yard IM, 200 yard IM and 200-yard backstroke events of the 2013 NCAA Division 1 Championships.
To top off an illustrious college career, Maya DiRado won her first individual NCAA awards in 2014 as she claimed gold in both the 200 IM and 400 IM events and also finished second in the 200 fly event. For her stellar senior year performance, DiRado was named the 2014 Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year. She graduated from Stanford University in 2014 with a degree in Management Science and Engineering.
International Career
Thanks to her impressive freshman stats, Maya DiRado was named in the United States’ lineup for the 2011 World University Games where she claimed her first international gold in the 400 meter IM. The following year, she had her first shot at the Olympics when she entered for the 2012 US Olympic Trials, however, she narrowly missed the final lineup as she finished 4th in both the 200 and 400 IMs.
Following an outstanding performance at the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships, Maya DiRado earned a spot on the United States’ team for the 2013 FINA World Championships where she claimed gold in the 800-meter free relay event. She equally made it into the United States’ team for the 2015 FINA World Championships where she finished second in the 400 meter IM. Maya went on to be a star at the 2016 US Swimming Olympic Trials where she won the 400M Individual Medley, the 200M IM as well as the 200M Backstroke, winning all in spectacular fashion.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Maya DiRado put up the performance of her life as she had announced that she would retire after the games. She claimed 2 gold medals in the 200M Backstroke and the 4×200 freestyle relay events respectively. She equally won the Silver Medal in the 400M Individual Medley as well as a bronze medal in the 200M Individual Medley bringing her total Olympic medal log to 4.
Upon her retirement in the fall of 2016, Maya DiRado returned to her job as a business analyst with McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. The 4-time Olympic medalist currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the USA Swimming Foundation.
Husband
Maya DiRado is currently married to Rob Andrews, a software engineer and also a former competitive swimmer. Just like DiRado, he is a former member of the swim team of Stanford University where they met. He graduated from Stanford in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in biomechanical engineering. The couple tied the knot on September 19, 2015, at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Rosa, California.
Parents, Family
Maya DiRado’s parents are Marit (née Parker) and Ruben DiRado. Her father was born in Argentina and moved to the US with his parents at age 3. His own grandparents were originally Italians who immigrated to Argentina after the Second World War. Maya DiRado equally has Norwegian ancestral roots on her mother’s side.
She grew up alongside one sibling, an older sister named Sarah. Theirs is a closely-knit family and they were raised with strong Christian beliefs. Just like Maya DiRado, every other member of the family is a graduate of Stanford University.
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