Gail Peters (born June 23, 1929), also known by her married name Gail Roper, is an American former competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who represented the United States at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

in Helsinki. Peters swam in the qualifying heats of the 200-meter breaststroke and finished with a time of 3:13.3.

Biography

Raised in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Trenton Central High School Trenton Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Trenton Public Schools. As ...

, where she graduated in 1947.Trenton Olympians

Trenton City Museum Mansion House (also referred to as Ellarslie and McCall House) is a historic residence located in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The house was built as a summer residence for Henry McCall Sr. of Philadelphia in 1848, and i ...

. Accessed August 17, 2022. "Gail Peters was born in Trenton and graduated in 1947 from Trenton High School where she was co-captain of the girls' swimming team and a NJ state champion." In 1951, she moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where she work as a military geology draftsman and joined the Walter Reed Swim Club. In 1953, she won the AAU outdoor titles in the 110 and 220 yard breaststroke, 330 yard individual medley, and 4×220 yard freestyle and medley relays. She also won the AAU indoors titles in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke and 300 yard medley in 1952, and in the 100 and 250 yard breaststroke in 1953. Peters semi-retired from swimming for 18 years to raise children. She returned as a masters swimmer in 1973 and competed until 1986, when she was diagnosed with

spinal stenosis Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal or neural foramen that results in pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. Symptoms may include pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs. Symptoms are typically gradual in on ...

. In the late 1980s she coached at a swim club in San Francisco. She resumed competing in 1991. During her masters career she won 30 world and 135 national titles and set 42 world and 650 national records. Later worked as a marine biologist for the Pacific States Marine Commission, living among California, Hawaii and Japan. In 1997 she was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

.GAIL ROPER (USA) 1997 Honor Masters Swimmer

References

1929 births Living people American female breaststroke swimmers Olympic swimmers for the United States Sportspeople from Trenton, New Jersey Swimmers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Trenton Central High School alumni 21st-century American women {{US-swimming-bio-stub