Margaret Hoelzer is proof that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. Overcoming sexual abuse as a child, Hoelzer rose to the top in her sport of swimming and continues to excel as an internationally recognized motivational speaker and advocate. In 2008, after competing in her second Olympic Games, becoming a three-time Olympic medalist, and breaking a World Record, Margaret revealed to the world that she had been sexually abused as a child.

Leveraging her platform as an Olympic athlete to help spread awareness in a time before the times up and me too movements, Margaret was one of the first professional athletes to speak out about her experience with sexual abuse. She is currently a 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.” Margaret has received numerous awards for her advocacy work. When she’s not doing advocacy work, Margaret enjoys sharing her Olympic spirit and experience with Olympic hopefuls and businesses all around the country by teaching youth swim clinics and speaking to local communities. She has a degree in psychology with a minor in criminology and pursued a graduate degree in sociology from Auburn University.