Background and Accomplishments:
After enduring the disappointment of missing the 2000 Games, the
California native had a breakout performance in Athens, winning a
medal in each of her five events (including two gold).
Other Intersts:
Coughlin graduated in 2005 from Cal-Berkeley with a degree in psychology. Coughlin is a talented cook and has dabbled in learning to speak Mandarin. She also enjoys photography, experimenting with both underwater and macro (close-up) picture taking.
Training and Workouts:
Outside the pool, Natalie trains through dance (hip-hop and ballet), pilates and running with her border terrier, SheRa. Natalie attributes some of her recent success to her dry-land training programs, dance & pilates classes.
Author:
In 2006, Natalie co-wrote a book with Sports Illustrated’s Michael Silver, entitled Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America’s Olympic Champion.
