I had read about this swimmer in Splash magazine for a couple years. The first black woman on the US Olympic swim team, it said. I saw that last name and thought, hmm, black, huh?

Then I read her story. Maritza Correia was born in Puerto Rico, but moved to US at 7. She was diagnosed with scoliosis in Puerto Rico, and the Dr. recommended swimming to treat her curved spine. She started swimming in the US, and something just clicked.

So she stuck with it, swimming in the age group swim clubs, up through US swimming, and she swam on the University of Georgia swim team. She tried out for the Olympic team in 2000. She was at the top of her game, ready to represent. Maritza, nicknamed Ritz could have swum for her native Puerto Rico, but preferred the challenge of making the US team.

Then she didn’t make the team. Heartbroken, Ritz returned to college, where she had a decision to make. Should she forget about her Olympic dream, or train harder and go for it? After being consoled by her coach and University of Georgia teammates, Ritz decided to go for it!

She trained her butt off. In 2001, Ritz won a gold medal in the 800m freestyle and two bronze medals in the medley and 400m freestyle relay as a member of the U.S. Team at the 2001 World Championship celebrated in Japan. She won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle in the 2002 NCAA championships, becoming the first African-American woman to win an NCAA championship. In both events, Ritz set American records, bettering the marks of two Olympic gold medalists (Amy Van Dyken and Jenny Thompson) in the process. She also earned seven All-American certificates and she was awarded the Commissioner’s Cup as the high point scorer in the SEC Championships.
In 2003, Correia earned a gold medal swimming on prelim 400 m free relay at the World Championships.

Ritz went all out in the 2004 Olympic trials. She thought if she didn’t make this team, it may be her last shot at it. She went for it. .. and made the team! She had the fourth fastest time in the 100 M free, good enough to represent the USA. Her race in the 2004 Olympics was like the first event, so she missed the opening ceremony. The US relay team won the silver medal in the 4×100 relay. So all her hard work paid off with a silver medal. At the Olympic Games in Athens, Correia was on the silver-medal-winning 400-meter relay team, despite not making the cut as one of the four who swam in the final medal race. It was a disappointing finish to her Olympic experience, but she appreciated every moment nonetheless.

She was young, 22, and came home to finish college, and get ready for another shot at Olympic glory. I was looking forward to finally watching her swim at this year’s Olympics.

But Ritz retired from swimming in April. She cited shoulder injuries as the problem, and she was grateful for the time off from swimming to be able to help take care of her father before he recently passed away.

Ironically, she may be more visible post retirement as a Nike spokesman, a role model to encourage minority children to swim, and she’s featured in Parting the Waters, a swimming documentary.