Event Speaker

Natalie Hinds

Natalie Hinds is world class in and out of the pool. Standing at 6’3 with a bright smile, booming voice and bubbly personality, she’s easy to spot and difficult to forget. As one of the nation’s best sprinters, Natalie competed at the 2016 Olympic Trials, followed by a brief retirement before coming back reignited in the fall of 2018 with her sights set on qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games. She achieved that goal and became a 2020 USA Olympic Bronze Medalist.

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Natalie grew up in Midland, TX, where she was one of the top recruits in the nation coming out of high school for the class of 2012. She committed to the University of Florida and graduated as a 20x All-American sprint specialist. Being one of the few Black swimmers at the US National and Olympic caliber level, Natalie is a leader in the swimming and sports community.

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In 2015, Natalie made history alongside Lia Neal and Simone Manuel, becoming the first trio of Black swimmers to go 1-2-3 in a single event at the NCAA Championships. That historical moment in Natalie’s career became the turning point for her to bring awareness and create educational opportunities to the sport of swimming. 

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After retiring in 2016, Natalie worked for Turner Media for two years until she felt a yearning to return to the pool and realize her full potential. Her comeback led to her becoming a 2020 USA Olympian and Bronze Medalist. Today, Natalie is an accomplished speaker, using her platform to share her inspirational comeback story. In 2020, Natalie turned her long time passion of designing custom home decor into a successful business by launching, Loominary Design.

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