Margaret Hoelzer

Margaret Hoelzer is a two-time Olympian, three-time Olympic medalist in swimming, and a 2007 World Champion. She won silver medals in the 200m Backstroke and the 400m Medley Relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and a bronze medal in the 100m Backstroke. Hoelzer, originally from Huntsville, Alabama, attended Auburn University, where she was a 22-time All-American and a 6-time National Champion. She also broke a World Record in swimming during her competitive career.

Since retiring in 2010, Hoelzer has been residing in the Pacific Northwest. She is actively involved in teaching private swim lessons and youth swim clinics, and travels frequently for swim clinics and motivational speaking engagements. An accomplished public speaker, Hoelzer is an internationally recognized advocate for victims of sexual abuse. In her speeches, she shares her personal story of overcoming sexual abuse as a child and focuses on supporting healing for other victims, their families, and friends. She has been featured in a TEDx talk and has received numerous awards for her advocacy work.

Hoelzer serves as a National Spokesperson for the National Children's Advocacy Center and is a featured survivor in the national award-winning Darkness to Light training video, "Stewards of Children." Her involvement in advocacy extends to helping to initiate USA Swimming’s Safe Sport program and assisting the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee in forming their Safe Sport Program. Additionally, Hoelzer holds a degree in psychology with a minor in criminology and pursued a graduate degree in sociology from Auburn University, further underscoring her commitment to understanding and addressing the dynamics of abuse and recovery.