Dara Torres Says Daughter is "Awesome"

A three-time silver medalist at the 2008 Olympic games, Dara Torres has astonished many with her prowess in the pool at the age of 41 — and it sounds as though the apple didn’t fall far from the tree with Tessa Grace, her 2-year-old daughter. "Tessa’s awesome," Dara tells NBC, "She’s a fun kid and she just absolutely loves the water." When she made the Olympic team, Dara knew it would require a month-long absence from her daughter. Although she wasn’t able to make the trip to Beijing, Tessa will someday learn all about Dara’s historic fifth Olympic games. It’s a conversation Dara says she looks forward to having.

I’m gonna tell her how much she was a part of this.  The sacrifices, the hard work, but still trying to balance the motherhood…I just know it’s going to be so much fun when she finally can understand, and I can share all of this with her.

Tessa is Dara’s daughter with partner David Hoffman.

Source: NBC; Photo Christinne Muschi/Reuters/Landov.

Comments

Dara Torres is such an inspiration, and a great role model. Watching the Olympics, I could tell her teammates and competitors really look up to her. She showed such sportsmanship, asking the officials to delay the start of a race so that one of her competitors could change her torn swimsuit. Such an awesome woman.

- Emily on August 17th, 2008

She is simply amazing. Thanks, Dara, for all your inspiration, and for making this forty-something mom feel “young again”! Truly one of a kind.

- Tricia on August 17th, 2008