View source for Summer Sanders

{{short description|American swimmer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Summer Sanders
| honorific-suffix   = {{post-nominals|OLY|size=100%}}
| image          = Summer Sanders (3649389347).jpg<!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| image_size     = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| alt            =
| caption        = Sanders in 2009
| fullname       = Summer Elisabeth Sanders
| nicknames      =
| national_team  = {{USA}}
| strokes        = [[Butterfly stroke|Butterfly]], [[medley swimming|individual medley]]
| club           = California Capital Aquatics
| collegeteam    = [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford University]]
| coach          = [[Richard Quick]]<br>UT
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1972|10|13}}
| birth_place    = [[Roseville, California]], U.S.
| death_date     =
| death_place    =
| height         = 5 ft 9 in
| weight         = 126 lb
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCount|total=yes
|[[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|2|1|1
|[[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]|1|1|1
|[[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]|3|1|0
}}
{{MedalSport|Women's [[Swimming (sport)|Swimming]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold|{{GamesName|SOG|1992|Swimming}}|[[Swimming at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold|{{GamesName|SOG|1992|Swimming}}|[[Swimming at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4x100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver|{{GamesName|SOG|1992|Swimming}}|[[Swimming at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalBronze|{{GamesName|SOG|1992|Swimming}}|[[Swimming at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 World Aquatics Championships|1991 Perth]]|[[Swimming at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[Swimming at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships|1991 Perth]]|[[Swimming at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[Swimming at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships|1991 Perth]]|[[Swimming at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1991 Edmonton]]|[[1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Women's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1991 Edmonton]]|[[1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Women's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1991 Edmonton]]|[[1991 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Women's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1989 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1989 Tokyo]]|[[1989 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Women's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
}}

'''Summer Elizabeth Sanders'''<ref name="S=df4S">Burton, Bruce (July 9, 1998). "Success is driving force for Summer". ''The Sacramento Bee''. p.&nbsp;1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee/139828660/ 7B]. Retrieved January 29, 2024.</ref> (born October 13, 1972)<ref name="BF: SS, S">{{Cite news|title=Biofile: Summer Sanders, Swimmer|author=|date=July 27, 1992|work=New York Daily News|page=47|quote='''Height:''' 5-9½. '''Weight:''' 137. '''Born:''' Oct. 13, 1972 in Roseville, Calif. '''Interesting fact:''' 'I was born on Friday, the 13th.'|id={{ProQuest|2320367270}}}}</ref> is an American [[sports commentator]], [[sideline reporter|reporter]], [[television personality]], [[actress]], former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]] and Olympic champion from 1992.

== Early life ==
Sanders was born in [[Roseville, California|Roseville]], California,<ref name="BF: SS, S"/> and attended Cavitt Junior High School and [[Oakmont High School]].<ref name="S=df4S"/>

==Swimming career==
By age three, Sanders could swim a lap of the pool. She wanted to be just like her older brother Trevor, so in 1976 she joined the Sugar Bears—an age-group swimming program in Roseville, California, coached by Mike Barsotti, Scott Winter and Scott O'Conner. From there she jumped to the Sierra Aquatic Club with coach Ralph Thomas, and finally to California Capital Aquatics under coach Mike Hastings.{{Citation needed |date=January 2024}}

At age 15, Sanders drew real attention from the swimming world when she barely missed earning a spot on the 1988 Olympic Team, finishing third in the 200-meter individual medley. In her first international meet, she won a silver medal in the 200 individual medley behind Lin Li of China at the 1989 Pan Pacific Championships. At the 1991 Pan Pacific Championships, she won the 400-meter individual medley (beating Lin Li) and the 200-meter butterfly.{{Citation needed |date=January 2024}}

In 1991, Sanders enrolled at Stanford University to swim under Hall of Fame coach [[Richard Quick]].<ref name=ishof>{{cite web |url=https://ishof.org/richard-quick.html |title=Richard Quick |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] |access-date=July 18, 2020 |archive-date=July 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708102619/https://ishof.org/richard-quick.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>  In her two-year collegiate swimming career, Sanders won eight NCAA National Championship titles, including the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard individual medley and 400-yard individual medley and the 4x100-yard medley relay. She won back-to-back NCAA Swimmer of the Year titles and helped her Cardinal team win the 1992 NCAA National Championships. She was the recipient of the [[Honda Sports Award]] for Swimming and Diving, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year in 1991–92.<ref>Collegiate Women Sports Awards, [http://www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com/archives/swimdive Past Honda Sports Award Winners for Swimming & Diving]. Retrieved December 3, 2014.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com/releases/2014-15/062415luncheon |title=Summer Sanders to Emcee Honda Luncheon and Moderate Huddle Panels |date=2015-06-24 |website=CWSA |language=en |access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2010/03/31/stanfords-smit-wins-honda-award-as-nations-top-female-swimmer |title=Stanford's Smit wins Honda Award as nation's top female swimmer |website=www.paloaltoonline.com |date=March 31, 2010 |language=en |access-date=2020-04-16}}</ref>

Sanders won three medals at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Australia, taking gold in the 200-meter butterfly, silver in the 200-meter individual medley, and bronze in the 400-meter individual medley. She then became the first American woman since Hall of Famer [[Shirley Babashoff]] (1976) to qualify for four individual events at one Olympiad at the 1992 Olympic Trials.{{Citation needed |date=January 2024}}

At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Sanders won four Olympic medals—gold in the 200-meter [[butterfly stroke|butterfly]] with a time of 2:08.67, gold in the 400-meter medley relay, silver in the 200-meter individual medley, and a [[bronze medal]] in the 400-meter individual medley.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sanders |first=Summer |url=http://www.summersanders.net/bio |title=Bio |publisher=summersanders.net |access-date=2013-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Summer Sanders |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/summer-sanders-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417162955/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/summer-sanders-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>

==Achievements==
*1992 Olympic Games: gold (200m butterfly), gold (4 × 100 m medley relay – preliminary heat), silver (200m IM), bronze (400m IM), 6th (100m butterfly)
*1991 World Championships: gold (200m butterfly), silver (200m IM), bronze (400m IM)
*8 United States National Championships: 2-100y butterfly, 2-200y butterfly, 1-200y IM, 2-400y IM, 1-200m IM
*9 NCAA National Championships: 2-200y butterfly, 2-200y IM, 2-400y IM, 1-4x50y medley relay, 1-4x100y medley relay, 1-4x100y freestyle relay
*1991 Pan-Pacific Championships: gold (200m IM, 400m IM, 200m butterfly)
*1989 Pan-Pacific Championships: silver (200m IM)

== Television work ==
Sanders began working on television while still competing. In 1992 and 1994 she was a commentator for [[CBS Sports]] for the [[NCAA]] Swimming Championships. In 1996, she was a commentator for [[NBC]]'s coverage of swimming at the [[Atlanta Olympics]]. She acted as an Olympic analyst and host for NBC during the 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2010 Olympic Games, being a Today Show special contributor from 2000 to 2004 and contributed to the network's coverage of the [[2002 Winter Olympics]] in Salt Lake City as an on-site reporter. She was also the host of ''Scholastic at the Olympic Games'' on [[MSNBC]] in 2000.

Sanders spent eight years co-hosting ''NBA Inside Stuff'' with Ahmad Rashad, being a sideline reporter for the [[WNBA]] ([[Lifetime (TV channel)|Lifetime]], 1997–1999; NBC, 1999–2002) and a feature correspondent for ''NBA on NBC'' from 2000 to 2002. She covered [[tennis]] as a reporter for United States's coverage of the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]] in 2000 and 2001, and was co-host of CBS' coverage of "[[Arthur Ashe]] Kid's Day" at the Open from 2000 to 2006.

Sanders has appeared in many programs as correspondent, co-host, and host. Highlights include [[Nickelodeon]], who named her their "commissioner" for the [[Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids|Nick GAS]] channel in 1998, after being the first female host of a Nickelodeon game show, ''[[Figure It Out]]'' (1997–1999),<ref name=bio /> co-hosting for [[MTV]]'s ''Sandblast'' in 1994, and hosting the syndicated series ''US Olympic Gold'' (2002–2005), ''[[Beg, Borrow & Deal]]'' ([[ESPN]], 2003), [[NBA TV]]'s ''Mind, Body & Spirit'' (2003–2004)<ref name=bio /> and ''[[The Sports List]]'' ([[Fox Sports Net]], 2004–2005).<ref>[http://www.tv.com/the-sports-list/show/29428/summary.html The Sports List TV Show] on TV.com</ref> Sanders also co-hosted the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] [[reality show|celebrity reality]] series ''[[Skating With Celebrities]]'' in 2006.

In 2009, Sanders began hosting ''Inside Out with Summer Sanders.'' The show, which is the first original production of [[Universal Sports]], debuted on December 23, 2009, and focuses on in-depth interviews and intimate profiles of notable Olympic athletes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.summersanders.net/sub.php?mod=pressnews&item=361 |title=Press / Latest News Inside Out with Summer Sanders Debuts on Christmas Day |publisher=Summersanders.net |access-date=2012-01-16}}</ref> She also worked as a general correspondent for ''[[Good Morning America]]'' and ''[[Rachael Ray (TV series)|Rachael Ray]]''.<ref name=bio>[http://www.summersanders.net/sub.php?mod=biography Biography] on SummerSanders.net</ref>

She appeared on the third season of ''[[The Apprentice (U.S. season 9)|Celebrity Apprentice]]'', and competed for charity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/43527 |title=Press release |publisher=Aintitcool.com |access-date=2012-01-16}}</ref> In January 2012, she was one of eight celebrities participating in the [[Food Network]] [[reality series]] ''[[Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dish |first=The FN |url=http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2011/07/29/rachael-vs-guy-celebrity-cook-off/ |title=Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off: New Show Premieres This Winter |publisher=Blog.foodnetwork.com |date=2011-07-29 |access-date=2012-01-16}}</ref>

Sanders hosted the award-winning "Elite Athlete Workouts" on Yahoo!Sports and covered the 2012 Olympic Games in London for the news outlet. She currently works as a commentator on the new [[Pac-12 Network]].

Her most recent work in TV is hosting the game show ''Keywords'' for [[HLN (TV channel)|HLN]].

== Other media ==
Sanders has appeared as an actress in two films: ''[[Jerry Maguire]]'' (1996), in which she played herself, and ''Broken Record'' (1997).

In June 1999, she published the book ''Champions Are Raised, Not Born: How My Parents Made Me A Success''.<ref>{{Cite book |isbn=0-385-33421-4 |title=Champions are Raised, Not Born: How My Parents Made Me a Success |last1=Sanders |first1=Summer |year=1999 |publisher=Delacorte Press |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/championsarerais00summ}}</ref>

==Personal life==
On July 4, 1997, Sanders married Olympic swimmer [[Mark Henderson (swimmer)|Mark Henderson]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Olympic Swimming, Summer Sanders |publisher=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/0831sanders.htm |date=2000-08-31 |access-date=2007-06-27}}</ref> The couple divorced in 2001. In July 2005, she married [[Erik Schlopy]], a World Cup skier who competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Sanders and Schlopy have two children. She is a noted fan of the [[NFL]]'s [[Buffalo Bills]]; her husband is a native Western New Yorker whose cousin [[Todd Schlopy]] briefly played for the Bills in 1987.<ref>[https://twitter.com/buffalobills/lists/noteworthyfans Buffalo Bills Noteworthy Fans on Twitter] Retrieved 14:25 PM EST on 20 DEC 2015.</ref>

On June 9, 2007, Sanders' childhood home was destroyed by a fire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=28927 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330154949/http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=28927 |title=News10.net |publisher=News10.net |date=2007-06-10 |access-date=2012-01-16 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 30, 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Olympics}}
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)]]
* [[List of Stanford University people]]
* [[List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* {{World Aquatics}}
* {{ISHOF}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20071214095427/http://www.ishof.org/Honorees/2002/02ssanders.html archived December 14, 2007])
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com profile}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504020246/http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_49594.htm |title=Summer's U.S. Olympic Team bio |date=mdy}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704105633/http://www.bashof.org/ssanders.htm |title=Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame – Summer Sanders |date=mdy}}
* [https://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/0831sanders.htm USA Today – Olympic Swimming: Summer Sanders – chat transcript]
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040919044330/http://www.usolympicteam.com/12755_14435.htm |title=United States Olympic Committee – Q&A with Summer Sanders – chat transcript |date=mdy}}
* [http://www.nba.com/tv_programs/IS_summer_bio.html NBA Inside Stuff – Summer Sanders]
* {{IMDb name}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Swimming World Swimmers of the Year|''Swimming World''<br/>American Swimmer of the Year]]
| before = [[Janet Evans]]
| after = [[Jenny Thompson]]
| years = 1992}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer USA Swimming 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 200 m Butterfly Women}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 200m Butterfly Women}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 200m Butterfly Women}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 200m Medley Women}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 400m Medley Women}}
{{Honda Sports Award}}
{{NBA on NBC}}
{{Pac-12 Conference Swimmer of the Year navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Summer}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:American female butterfly swimmers]]
[[Category:American female medley swimmers]]
[[Category:American game show hosts]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:NBA broadcasters]]
[[Category:Nickelodeon people]]
[[Category:Oakmont High School alumni]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic Games broadcasters]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Roseville, California]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Sacramento, California]]
[[Category:Stanford Cardinal women's swimmers]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimming commentators]]
[[Category:American tennis commentators]]
[[Category:American women sports commentators]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]