View source for Erin Popovich

{{short description|American Paralympic swimmer}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Erin Popovich
| nationality = {{USA}}
| birth_place = [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], US
| height = {{height|ft=4|in=4.75}}<ref name="USParalympicOldProfile">{{cite web|url=http://63.241.144.243/paralympics/39341_48273.htm |title=Erin Popovich Athlete Biography |access-date=2008-09-09 |publisher=US Paralympics |date=2007-01-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240524055921/https://www.webcitation.org/5alJaHb0m?url=http://63.241.144.243/paralympics/39341_48273.htm |archive-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref>
| weight = {{convert|105|lb|kg}}<ref name="USParalympicOldProfile"/>
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's [[Swimming (sport)|Swimming]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Paralympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics|100m Freestyle - S6]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics|100m Breaststroke - SB5]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics|50m Butterfly - S6]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|50m Butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|50m Freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|100m Breaststroke]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|100m Freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|200m IM]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|4x100m Freestyle relay]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2004 Summer Paralympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|4x100m Medley relay]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2008 Summer Paralympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics|200m IM - SM7]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2008 Summer Paralympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics|100m Freestyle - S7]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2008 Summer Paralympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics|100m Breaststroke - SB7]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2008 Summer Paralympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics|400m Freestyle - S7]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics|50m Freestyle - S6]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics|200m IM - SM6]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2000 Summer Paralympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics|4 x 50 Freestyle relay - S6]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2008 Summer Paralympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics|50m Butterfly - S7]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2008 Summer Paralympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics|50m Freestyle - S7]]}}
}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}'''Erin Popovich''' is a three-time [[United States]] [[Paralympic]] [[swimmer]]. She has won 14 career [[Paralympic Games|Paralympic]] [[gold medals]], and 19 total.

==Personal life==
Popovich was born with [[achondroplasia]], a genetic disorder that restricted the growth of her limbs.<ref name="Colorodoan1">{{cite news |title=Former CSU swimmer Erin Popovich going gold in Beijing |publisher=Fort Collins Coloradoan|date=2008-09-09}}</ref> Her parents, a teacher and a physician, moved their family to [[Butte, Montana]] when Popovich was five.<ref name="GreatFalls">{{cite web|last=Franz |first=Zachary |url=http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/09/03/sports/sports08.txt |title=Butte Paralympian makes way to Beijing |access-date=2009-12-16 |publisher=Great Falls Tribune |date=2008-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207182117/http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/09/03/sports/sports08.txt |archive-date=2022-02-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During childhood, she wore braces to straighten her back and legs, and underwent about a dozen surgeries.  But according to her mother, "we didn't have to make a lot of accommodations for her; we didn't want to treat her too much differently from her siblings."<ref name="GreatFalls"/> Popovich was interested in sports from an early age. She rode horses and played [[soccer]] and [[basketball]]. When Popovich was 12, she joined a swim club and by the age of 15, she was competing at the [[2000 Paralympic Games]].<ref name="GreatFalls"/>

Popovich received a Bachelor of Science degree from [[Colorado State University]] in May 2007, and her hometown is listed as [[Silver Bow, Montana]].<ref name="GreatFalls"/><ref name="USParalympicsNewProfile"/>

==Swimming career==
Erin Popovich has participated in three [[Paralympics]]. She won three gold medals and three silver medals while setting four world records at the 2000 Paralympic Games in [[Sydney, Australia|Sydney]].<ref name="CSU2">{{cite web|url=http://www.colostate.edu/features/erin-popovich08.aspx|title=Making a Big Splash|access-date=2008-09-09|publisher=Colorado State University|date=June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618110319/http://www.colostate.edu/features/erin-popovich08.aspx|archive-date=2008-06-18|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="DAAA1">{{cite web |url=http://www.daaa.org/swimoutsdg.htm|title= DAAA's Outstanding Swimmers|access-date=2008-09-09|publisher=Dwarf Athletic Association of America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104005218/http://daaa.org/swimoutsdg.htm|archive-date=2007-11-04}}</ref> Erin was chosen to be one of the 12,012 Torchbearers of the [[2002 Winter Olympics torch relay]] and she carried the torch in [[Big Timber, Montana]] on Monday, January 28.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mtstandard.com/news/local/erin-popovich-no-stranger-to-the-gold/article_09d39f60-3235-5f71-a41f-933f65bf9fa0.html |title=Erin Popovich no stranger to the gold |date=February 6, 2002 |publisher=Montana Standard |accessdate=July 2, 2021}}</ref> At the [[2004 Summer Paralympics]] in [[Athens, Greece|Athens]], Popovich won seven gold medals in seven races (including two relays), and set three world records and four Paralympic Games records.<ref name="USParalympicsNewProfile">{{cite web |url=http://www2.teamusa.org/Athletes/PO/Erin-Popovich.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102134147/http://www2.teamusa.org/Athletes/PO/Erin-Popovich.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-02|title=U.S. Paralympics Profile: Erin Popovich|access-date=2012-07-01|publisher=U.S. Paralympics}}</ref> In 2005, Popovich won the first [[ESPY Award]] for [[Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award|Best Female Athlete with a Disability]] and was named the [[Women's Sports Foundation]] Sportswoman of the Year.<ref name="CSU1">{{cite web|url=http://www.colostate.edu/features/erin-popovich.aspx|title=Erin Popovich Named Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year|access-date=2008-09-09|publisher=Colorado State University|date=September 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919043530/http://www.colostate.edu/features/erin-popovich.aspx|archive-date=2008-09-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the [[2008 Summer Paralympics]] in [[Beijing, China|Beijing]], she won an additional four gold and two silver medals, breaking two world records (200m individual medley and 100m breaststroke) and two Paralympic records (100m and 400m freestyle).<ref name="BeijingProfile">{{cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/BIO/Athlete/5/1200935.shtml |title=Athlete Biography POPOVICH Erin |access-date=2009-12-16 |publisher=Beijing 2008 Paralympics Official Website |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013113755/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/BIO/Athlete/5/1200935.shtml |archive-date=2008-10-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Colorodoan2">{{cite news |title=Popovich wraps up Paralympics with another silver|publisher=Fort Collins Coloradoan|date=2008-09-14}}</ref>  In 2009, she won the ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability for the second time.<ref name="ESPY2">{{cite web|url=http://usparalympics.org/news/article/14404|title=Popovich Wins ESPY Award|access-date=2009-07-24|publisher=U.S. Paralympics|date=2009-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801061902/http://usparalympics.org/news/article/14404|archive-date=2009-08-01|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Following the [[International Paralympic Committee]] [[IPC Swimming World Championships|World Swimming Championships]] in 2010, Popovich announced her retirement from competitive swimming.<ref name="swimmingretirement">{{cite web|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/25119.asp |title=Three-Time Paralympian Erin Popovich Retires, Takes Post as USA Swimming Athlete Representative |access-date=2011-03-30 |publisher=Swimming World |date=2010-09-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905095206/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/25119.asp |archive-date=2012-09-05}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of multiple Paralympic gold medalists#Most gold medals in one sport|Athletes with most gold medals in one event at the Paralympic Games]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IPC athlete|erin-popovich}}
* {{Team USA|PO/Erin-Popovich|archive=20200114054931}}
* {{Team USA Hall of Fame|new_id=erin-popovich|old_id=Erin-Popovich|archive=20230720072114}}
{{Footer Paralympic Champions 400 m Freestyle Women}}{{ESPY Female Athlete with a Disability}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Popovich, Erin}}
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American female backstroke swimmers]]
[[Category:American female breaststroke swimmers]]
[[Category:American female butterfly swimmers]]
[[Category:American female freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:American female medley swimmers]]
[[Category:Colorado State University alumni]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Paralympic gold medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:Paralympic medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Paralympic silver medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:Paralympic swimmers for the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Butte, Montana]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas]]
[[Category:S6-classified para swimmers]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:World record holders in paralympic swimming]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]