Nicole Dryden
Encyclopedia
Nicole "Nikki" Dryden is a former freestyle
and backstroke
swimmer from Canada, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics, in 1992
in Barcelona, Spain, and in 1996
in Atlanta, Georgia
.
Dryden received an athletic scholarship
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where she was a member of the Florida Gators swimming and diving team from 1993 to 1996. As a Gator swimmer she was a five-time Southeastern Conference
(SEC) champion (twice in the 500-yard freestyle, twice in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and once in the 1,650-yard freestyle), and received nine All-American honors. She was also a five-time Ivy League
champion as a swimmer for the Brown Bears
swimming team of Brown University
in Providence, Rhode Island
, and graduated from Brown with a bachelor's degree
in international relations in 1998.
degree from Brooklyn Law School
in Brooklyn, New York in 2005, and currently works as a human rights and immigration lawyer in the New York City
office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
. Dryden previously served as a visa officer for the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka
and Kenya
, and worked for the International Organization for Migration
with Somali
immigration officials.
Dryden also volunteers as an athlete ambassador for several organizations that work to support the rights of children around the world, including Right To Play
and SwimLanka. She is also a celebrity swimmer for Swim Across America, a charitable organization that works with former Olympic swimmers to raise funds for cancer research.
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
and backstroke
Backstroke
The backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only...
swimmer from Canada, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics, in 1992
Swimming at the 1992 Summer Olympics
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, 31 swimming events were contested. There was a total of 641 participants from 92 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals....
in Barcelona, Spain, and in 1996
Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The swimming competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta, United States, which was built for the Games...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
Swimming career
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Dryden reached the finals with the Canadian women's relay teams in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay (eighth) and in the 4x100-metre medley relay (sixth). In the individual 100-metre backstroke, Dryden made it to the consolation final, finishing fourteenth overall; she also participated in qualifying heats of the 200-metre freestyle and the 200-metre backstroke. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Dryden placed fourteenth in the 800-metre freestyle.Dryden received an athletic scholarship
Athletic 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 she was a member of the Florida Gators swimming and diving team from 1993 to 1996. As a Gator swimmer she was a five-time Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) champion (twice in the 500-yard freestyle, twice in the 800-yard freestyle relay, and once in the 1,650-yard freestyle), and received nine All-American honors. She was also a five-time Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
champion as a swimmer for the Brown Bears
Brown Bears
The Brown Bears is a name shared by all sports teams at Brown University, a university located in Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 37 National...
swimming team of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, and graduated from Brown 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 international relations in 1998.
Life after competition swimming
Dryden earned her juris doctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.-History:Founded in 1901 by William Payson Richardson and Norman P. Heffley, Brooklyn Law School was the first law school on Long Island. Using space provided by Heffley’s business school, the law...
in Brooklyn, New York in 2005, and currently works as a human rights and immigration lawyer in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP is a large New York City-based International law firm specialising in providing a range of immigration law services to corporate and individual clients, and is widely recognised as the world's leading immigration law firm...
. Dryden previously served as a visa officer for the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and worked for the International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
with Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
immigration officials.
Dryden also volunteers as an athlete ambassador for several organizations that work to support the rights of children around the world, including Right To Play
Right to Play
Right To Play is an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world...
and SwimLanka. She is also a celebrity swimmer for Swim Across America, a charitable organization that works with former Olympic swimmers to raise funds for cancer research.
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 Brown University people
- List of University of Florida Olympians