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All-Stars
Olympic Medalist, Mom & Coach
by Jacqueline Lenart
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While running a competitive time is a challenge for Whitney Hedgepeth, she’s strokes ahead of the competition when it comes to swimming.
A gold and silver Olympic medalist, Hedgepeth has won U.S. titles in seven different events. Following older sister, Courtney’s, lead, Hedgepeth began swimming at age 6 and has since held the American 200-yard backstroke record, served as an Olympic team captain and earned a bronze World University Games medal.
But Hedgepeth, now the Austin Aquatics coach, says she doesn’t currently swim for competition but instead swims to stay in shape, remain healthy, and to set a good example for her two children.
“Working out makes me feel good and there’s a lifetime of benefits,” she says. She works out 25 to 30 hours weekly — at least five hours of that spent lifting weights. She doesn’t, however, go to a gym.
Hedgepeth says even the cheesecake she loves can’t slow her down. Due to her strenuous and consistent workouts, which also consist of running with her children, pushing a double stroller, she says she can eat what she wants without worrying.
Her energetic spirit and determination made Hedgepeth the ideal representative Ariel Cassady of Michael A. Burns and Associates, Inc. was looking for to represent her client’s product. The feminine product for the active women aimed toward the female athletes fit Hedgepeth’s experience to a tee, Cassady says. “‘She has this kind of confidence that was ideal. She had such a good career and authoritative role with female athletes.”
Cassady says Hedgepeth’s motivating personality drives the people around her to succeed. “She’s inspirational in that she hasn’t given up swimming because she really enjoys it.” It was Hedgepeth’s swimming success alone, says Cassady, that led to the wide media response her client’s product received. She says Hedgepeth is in great shape and really healthy but humble about it so her success isn’t intimidating.
Hedgepeth competed in the Austin Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series June 7 where she placed first in swimming, but says she wasn’t as satisfied with her overall performance in which she placed 53rd overall out of 2,352 qualified finishers, and fourth in her age group. As for the future, Hedgepeth says doing well at sports is still important to her.
“I would love to be competitive and good at something again.” Finishing in the upper percentile of Austin Danskin participants, Hedgepeth’s recent competition results are far above average. But her competitive nature is what has driven her to accomplish her past successes and Hedgepeth says she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
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