Maya DiRado is a former competitive swimmer who represented the United States at several international championships, the most notable being the 2016 Summer Olympics. Before turning professional, she had a distinguished college career at Stanford University, where she won multiple NCAA titles. Although relatively brief, DiRado’s professional career was highlighted at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she won 4 medals. The talented athlete officially retired from the sport after the 2016 Olympics, but did not cease to be relevant in the field. Here’s what she’s done so far.
Who is Maya DiRado? – Bio & Age
Maya DiRado was born Madeline Jane DiRado on April 5, 1993, in Santa Rosa, California. She got the nickname “Maya” from her sister who couldn’t pronounce “Madeline”. Maya started swimming at a very young age and at age 6 became a member of the Santa Rosa Neptunes Swim Club alongside her future Olympic teammate, Molly Hannis.
She attended Maria Carrillo High School in SantaRosa. As a high school athlete, she won the 200m individual medley at three championships. She also set records for each age group in the various events she participated in. She finished the 200 m individual medley with a time of 1:56.17 in her senior year, setting a new high school record for California. She also finished first in the 100 freestyle.
University career
After graduating from high school, Maya DiRadore walked the path of a long line of family members when she entered Stanford University. In her freshman year, she finished second and second in the 200 and 400 yard runs respectively at the 2011 NCAA Division 1 Championships.
As a sophomore, the young talent showed even more finesse at the NCAA Division 1 Championships in 2012, when she took 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively in the 200-yard backstroke events, 200 yards and 400 yards. During his freshman year as a junior, DiRado finished second, third and fifth in the 400-yard events by the 200-yard distance, 200-yard run and 200-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division 1 Championships of 2013.
To cap off her college career, MayaDiRado earned her first NCAA individual awards in 2014 after winning gold in the 200 and 400 IM and also finished second in the 200 flyweight class. For her outstanding senior performances, DiRado was named the 2014 Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year. She graduated in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University in 2014.
International career
Thanks to her impressive freshman stats, MayaDiRado was named to the USA roster at the 2011 World University Games where she won her first international gold medal in the 400m individual medley. The following year, she had her first shot at the Olympics when she entered the 2012 US Olympic Trials, but narrowly missed out on the final program as she finished 4th in the 200 and 400 MI.
Following an outstanding performance at the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships, Maya DiRado earned a spot on Team USA at the 2013 FINA World Championships, where she won gold in the 800m freestyle. She also joined Team USA for the 2015 FINA World Championships, where she finished second in the 400m individual medley. Maya was then a star at the 2016 United States Olympic Swimming Trials, where she won the 400m individual medley, 200m individual medley as well as the 200m backstroke, winning the match in spectacular fashion.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Maya DiRado put on the performance of her life as she announced that she would be retiring after the games. She won two gold medals in the 200m backstroke and 4×200 freestyle relays, respectively. She also won the silver medal in the 400m individual medley as well as a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley, bringing her Olympic medal book to 4.
Upon her retirement in the fall of 2016, Maya DiRado returned to her position as a business analyst at McKinsey & Company, an international management consultancy. This four-time Olympic medalist is currently a board member of the USA Swimming Foundation.
Husband
Maya DiRado is currently married to Rob Andrews, a software engineer and also a former competitive swimmer. Much like DiRado, he is a former member of the Stanford University swim team where they met. He received his bachelor’s degree in biomechanical engineering from Stanford in 2012. The couple married on September 19, 2015, at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Rosa, California.
Parents, family
Maya DiRado’s parents are Marit (née Parker) and Ruben DiRado. His father was born in Argentina and moved to the United States with his parents when he was 3 years old. His own grandparents were originally Italians who immigrated to Argentina after World War II. Maya DiRado also has Norwegian ancestral roots on her mother’s side.
She grew up with one brother, an older sister named Sarah. They are a close-knit family and were raised with strong Christian beliefs. Just like Maya DiRado, all the other members of the family are Stanford University graduates.