Susan Walsh (born 1962),[1] also known by her married name Susan Stankavage, is an American former competition swimmer who won two medals at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships.[2] She qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter backstroke, but could not compete because of their United States-led boycott of the Soviet-hosted games. She was 0.01 seconds short of qualifying for the 1984 Olympics in the same event.[3]

Susan Walsh
Walsh at the 1981 Universiade
Personal information
Full nameSusan Walsh
Nickname"Sue"
National team United States
Born1962
Hamburg, New York
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke
College teamUniversity of North Carolina
CoachFrank Comfort
(UNC)
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the United States
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1982 Guayaquil 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1982 Guayaquil 100 m backstroke
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1983 Caracas 4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1983 Caracas 100 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 1983 Caracas 200 m backstroke
Universiade
Silver medal – second place 1983 Edmonton 4x100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Bucharest 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Bucharest 200 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Edmonton 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Edmonton 200 m backstroke

Biography

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Walsh was born in Hamburg, New York, as the youngest of five children and started swimming because of her father Bob, a swimming official. She graduated from the Mount Mercy Academy and then from the University of North Carolina (1984), with a degree in business administration and accounting. At North Carolina, she swam under Head Coach Frank Comfort, who won an exceptional number of career meets, winning over 500 in his first 30 years as a coach.[4] In 1987 she became an assistant swimming coach and in February 1989 started working at the Educational Foundation, better known as the Rams Club.[3][5]

In 2003, she was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.[6] In the 2000s, she was still competing in swimming in the masters category. In 2007, she set six world records in the 45–49 age group at the 2007 United States Master's Swimming Championships.[7]

Family

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She was married to Scott Stankavage, a former American football quarterback, from 1986 to 1997. They had three children: Sarah and Shelby are swimmers,[3][8] and Shawn plays football.[9][10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Susan Walsh. swimmingtimes.com
  2. ^ Sue WALSH. les-sports.info
  3. ^ a b c Jim Sumner (February 15, 2007). Looking Back... Sue Walsh Found Swimming Success at North Carolina. theacc.com
  4. ^ "University of North Carolina Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees". SwimSwam.
  5. ^ SUE WALSH Director of Endowment & Legacy Gifts. ramsclub.com
  6. ^ Sue Walsh 2003. ncshof.org
  7. ^ Sue Walsh Sets Six World Records at U.S. Master's Swimming Championships. Tarheeltimes (August 15, 2007).
  8. ^ Shelby Stankavage. swimmingtimes.com
  9. ^ Greg Mintel (September 10, 2012). Gibbons QB Stankavage just enjoys playing. newsobserver.com
  10. ^ Carolina Swimming and Diving 2006–07 Media Guide, pp. 35–36