Michael Heath (swimmer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Steward "Mike" Heath (born April 9, 1964) is a former American college and international swimmer
who is a two-time Olympic
gold medal
ist.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he swam for coach Randy Reese
's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1983 to 1986 and was a member of the Gators' 1983 and 1984 NCAA men's championship teams. As a Gator swimmer, he won four NCAA titles and received nineteen All-American honors. Heath graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
in exercise and sports science in 1988, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1996.
in Los Angeles, California
, Heath was a member of the winning U.S. men's relay teams in the 4×100 meter and 4×200 meter freestyle events, and also won the silver in the individual 200 meter freestyle for a total of three Olympic medals, two of which were gold.
, and works as a Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer in Clay County, Florida
. He is married to the former Sherri-Lee Schricker, with whom he has two children.
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
who is a two-time Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist.
College career
Heath received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he swam for coach Randy Reese
Randy Reese
Randy Reese is an American college and Olympic swimming coach. Reese is best known for coaching the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams to four national championships, and coaching the winners of eighteen Olympic gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals...
's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition from 1983 to 1986 and was a member of the Gators' 1983 and 1984 NCAA men's championship teams. As a Gator swimmer, he won four NCAA titles and received nineteen All-American honors. Heath graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in exercise and sports science in 1988, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1996.
International career
At the 1984 Summer Olympics1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Heath was a member of the winning U.S. men's relay teams in the 4×100 meter and 4×200 meter freestyle events, and also won the silver in the individual 200 meter freestyle for a total of three Olympic medals, two of which were gold.
Life after swimming
Heath is currently an assistant coach with the Spartan Aquatic Club in Orange Park, FloridaOrange Park, Florida
Orange Park is a town in Clay County, Florida, USA, and a suburb of Jacksonville. The population was 8,412 at the 2010 census. The name "Orange Park" is additionally applied to a wider area of northern Clay County outside the town limits, covering such communities as Fleming Island, Lakeside, and...
, and works as a Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer in Clay County, Florida
Clay County, Florida
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 190,895. Its county seat is Green Cove Springs, Florida. Clay County is part of the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan area.- History :...
. He is married to the former Sherri-Lee Schricker, with whom he has two children.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Olympians