Dara Torres - Olympic Swimmer

At 41, many people thought Dara Torres couldn't complete in another Olympic games, but she's on her way to Beijing in 2008 to show what persistence and experience can do for an athlete.

The 2008 Games make Dara the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games, as well as the oldest to qualify for the Games.

Update: Dara just picked up another medal at the Beijing Games swimming the anchor leg of the the 400 freestyle relay and taking second for the US team.

Her swimming accomplishments prior to the 2008 Games include nine Olympic medals, starting with a gold at 17 when she was a member of the 4 x 100 freestyle relay in the 1984 Olympic Games.

Dara continued to excel in the sports and went to the 1988 and the 1992 Olympics.

She took a short break from swimming before returning to the sport in time for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, where she happened to win five medals, the most of any woman athlete at those Games.

Following the Sydney Olympics, Dara called it quits, married, divorced, and worked on her broadcasting career with the Golf Channel. She and partner David Hoffman gave birth to their daughter Tessa in 2006.

Dara started training again, partly to lose the baby weight she'd gained during pregnancy. She qualified for the 2008 United States Olympic Trails as a result of a Master's swim competition.

Although she surgery to remove a bone spur in her right shoulder, she went on to record personal bests in the 50 and 100 freestyles in the Trials and is on her way to Beijing.