|
Maureen O'Toole is widely regarded worldwide as the greatest female water polo player of all time. O'Toole began her water polo career 23 years ago at Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA playing on a boys' water polo team because there was not a girls' team.
At age 17, she joined the U.S. Women's National Team. From 1978 to 1994 she was a constant figure on the National Team; the only exception was in 1991 when she gave birth to the joy of her life, her daughter Kelly.
O'Toole has almost single handedly carried women's water polo from its infancy in the Unites States to become an Olympic medal sport. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Women's National Team 15 times, U.S. Water Polo Female Athlete of the Year five times, World Water Polo Female Athlete of the Year six times, and named to the U.S. Water Polo All-American team a record 28 times.
Now retired from competitive water polo, O'Toole is the founder of The Pursuit of Excellence Sports Academy, a non-profit foundation that teaches self-esteem and leadership training in a sports environment for girls 8-18 years of age.
|
