Susan Ershler
Kirkland, Washington
Mountaineer/Author

In 2002, Susan Ershler and her husband Phil became the first couple in history to successfully scale the fabled seven summits including Everest. She was just the fourth American woman to achieve the feat and the 12th to successfully summit Everest.

Doris Brown-Heritage
Seattle, Washington
Track (1968, 1972)

Known as the First Lady of American distance running, Doris Brown Heritage won five straight international cross country titles from 1967-71. In 1970, she became the first Seattle Pacific University athlete to be voted the Post-Intelligencer's Seattle Sports Star of the Year. Heritage was an Olympian twice, for the 800 meters in 1968 and the 1,500 meters in 1972. At one time she owned every world and American record for women from the 440 to the mile. She is the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at SPU.

Anna Mickelson
Bellevue, Washington
Rowing (2004, 2008)

Former University of Washington rower and Newport High School graduate Anna Mickelson Cummins is an eight-time senior national team member and two-time Olympian.

Betsy Beard Stillings
Seattle, Washington
Rowing (1984, 1986)

A former University of Washington coxswain, Betsy Beard Stillings became a coxswain for the 1984 and the 1988 Olympic Rowing Teams. She received a gold medal in 1984.

Jan Harville
Seattle, Washington
Rowing (1980, 1984)

A two-time Olympian and former University of Washington women's rowing coach, Jan Harville first came to Washington as an undergraduate, when she rowed for the Huskies from 1970 to 1973. She continued her rowing career following college, competing on the U.S. National Team from 1978 to 1984. During that span, Harville was a part of the women's eight that won three medals at the World Championships. Harville was a nine-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year honoree, most recently in 2002.

Margaret Hoelzer
Seattle, Washington
Swimming (2004, 2008)

At the 2007 World Championships, Margaret Hoezler broke the American record in the 200m backstroke and won her first World Championship. In 2008, she qualified for the Olympic team in three events: 100m back, 200m back, and 4x100 medley relay and then headed to her second Olympics as world champion in the 200m backstroke. In Beijing, Margaret medaled in the 100 Back (Bronze), 200 Back (Silver), and 400 Medley Relay (Silver).

Mary Whipple
Seattle, Washington
Rowing (2004, 2008)

Former University of Washington coxswain Mary Whipple is an eight-time senior national team member and two-time Olympian. Mary was part of the Olympic women's eight that set a world record in the heat and won a silver medal in the final in Athens, Greece. Her favorite spectator sport is basketball.

Melanie Roach
Bonney Lake, Washington
Weight Lifting (2000, 2008)

Shattering the stereotypical body image of weightlifters, Melanie Roach is a petite former gymnast who first competed in the 1994 American Open, earning a third-place finish. At the 1998 US National Championships, she stunned the weightlifting world by exceeding the world standard in the clean and jerk. Weeks before the 2000 Olympic Trials competition, Melanie suffered a serious back injury. She focused her energies on starting a family with her husband, Washington State Rep. Dan Roach, and running a gymnastics studio. Three children later, in the summer of 2005 she returned to competitive weightlifting, winning her 6th US National Championship in 2006. She competed in the 2007 World Championships in September and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games at the US National Championships in February. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Melanie placed 6th in the 117-lb. weight class, her best finish in the international competition.

Libby Ludlow
Bellevue, Washington
Alpine Skiing (2006)

Libby Ludlow competed in her first Olympic Games in Italy in 2006. She has logged over 100 World Cup starts, including 43 top-30 finishes and 20 top-20 finishes. Her home mountain is Crystal Mountain, Wash.

Dr. Sue Natrass
Vashon Island, Washington
Trap Shooting (1976, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008)

Sue Natrass is a six-time Olympian and a seven-time world champion in trap shooting. A native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, she plans to compete in the 2012 London Games.

Susan Broome
Seattle, Washington
Rowing (1984, 1988)

An alternate on the 1984 Olympic team, Susan Broome won a silver medal at the 1987 World Championships and at the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul.

Lindsey Meyer
Seattle, Washington
Rowing (2008)

Two-time senior national team member Lindsay Meyer earned her first Olympic Games trip in 2008. She won the women’s single sculls at the 2006 U.W. Rowing Youth National Championships.

Ginny Gilder
Seattle, Washington
Rowing (1980, 1984)

Gilder earned four varsity letters in rowing at Yale University, and was an All-Ivy Champion twice. Her freshman year she helped usher in the post-Title IX era at Yale by participating in the now-famous women’s crew strip-in protesting the lack of equal facilities. In addition, she represented the United States on four national teams, including two Olympic teams. She was named to the U.S. team which boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and won a silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. She has helped launch two community rowing programs, one in Boston, MA and another in Derby, CT. She received an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for community service in 2004.