Kimberly Vandenberg is an American competition swimmer and Olympic medalist. Vandenberg grew up in Moraga, California, and swam for Campolindo High School and Orinda Aquatics. She was a member of the bronze-medal-winning U.S. team in the women's 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She also won silver medals at the 2005 World University Games, and at the 2007 World Swimming Championships in the women's 200-meter butterfly. Four years later, she won a gold medal in the same event at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. Vandenberg attended University of California, Los Angeles and swam for the UCLA Bruins women's swimming and diving team. She graduated from UCLA in 2007. Being one of the only U.S. Olympic swimmers to choose to train abroad, she returned to Brooklyn, in 2013 and trains with the New York Athletic Club, under head coachRomain Barnier, a former Olympian. "We have a really interesting group of international swimmers who have different experiences and who all learn from each other. It's a unique experience", said Vandenberg in an interview with Gary Hall, Sr. Vandenberg saw the benefits of training abroad and viewing the world’s different training methods. Vandenberg has also taken time to inspire and teach aspiring swimmers from around the world. "I think when I was really young I never believed that I could become an Olympian myself. It was a dream I had but I told myself 'that's impossible. I'll never be an Olympian,' but as the years went by I grew up and I started swimming faster that dream became a reality... I really think it's important for swimmers, and any athlete, to dream big and think about the most amazing thing that you could see yourself achieving because it is possible", said Vandenberg during an interview at a hosted event at the International School of Beijing in 2013, along with U.S. Olympic swimmers Jason Lezak and Aaron Peirsol. Vandenberg is an ambassador for Room to Read, a global organization transforming the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Vandenberg is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports, a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting underserved youth by providing them with coaches trained in positive youth development.
