Caulkins studied at Harpeth Hall School, a private girls' school.
College/University
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
Caulkins graduated from the University of Florida with her bachelor's degree in broadcasting in 1985.
Career
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1979
The 14-year-old Etobicoke swim club member gets an autograph from Tracy Caulkins.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1982
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Tracy Caulkins of the United States swims the 200-meter individual medley and wins the bronze medal during the 1982 World Swimming Championships in August 1982 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1982
Gainesville, Florida, United States
Tracy Caulkins swims the 400-meter individual medley during the 1982 Spring Nationals in April 1982 in Gainesville, Florida.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Close-up of Tracy Caulkins in action
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Los Angeles, California, United States
Tracy Caulkins in action before the women's 200-m individual medley at Olympic Swim Stadium.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Los Angeles, California, United States
Tracy Caulkins, Theresa Andrews, Mary T. Meagher, and Nancy Hogshead are victorious, waving to the crowd after winning the women's 4x100-m medley relay gold medal at Olympic Swim Stadium.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Tracy Caulkins gets a hug from Petra Zindler.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Tracy Caulkins in action
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
1026 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
The members of the United States Women's 4 x 100 medley relay team greet spectators after the awards ceremony after winning the gold medal in the Swimming competition of the 1984 Summer Olympics on August 3, 1984 at the McDonalds's Olympic Swim Stadium (now known as the Uytengsu Aquatics Center) in Los Angeles, California. Visible are Nancy Hogshead, Tracy Caulkins, and Theresa Andrews.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Tracy Caulkins is victorious after winning the race.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
1026 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
Tracy Caulkins of the United States during the women's 100-meter breaststroke on August 2, 1984 during the XXIII Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Swim Stadium (now the Uytengsu Aquatics Center), the University of Southern California, California, United States.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
Tracy Caulkins smiles after being presented with her gold medal.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1984
1026 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
Tracy Caulkins during the women's swimming 100-meter breaststroke competition at the McDonald's Olympic Swim Stadium (now the Uytengsu Aquatics Center), at the 1984 Summer Olympics, on August 2, 1984.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
1985
590 Rathburn Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9C 3T3, Canada
Tracy Caulkins is holding clinics for members of the Etobicoke Swim Club on behalf of her former coach, Paul Bergen, who heads the local swim club.
Gallery of Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Caulkins
Achievements
Tracy Caulkins
Membership
Awards
James E. Sullivan Award
1978
James E. Sullivan Award
Olympic Games Gold Medal
1984
Los Angeles, California, United States
Tracy Caulkins is victorious on the stand after winning the women's 200-m individual medley gold medal at Olympic Swim Stadium.
Tracy Caulkins of the United States swims the 200-meter individual medley and wins the bronze medal during the 1982 World Swimming Championships in August 1982 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Tracy Caulkins, Theresa Andrews, Mary T. Meagher, and Nancy Hogshead are victorious, waving to the crowd after winning the women's 4x100-m medley relay gold medal at Olympic Swim Stadium.
1026 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
The members of the United States Women's 4 x 100 medley relay team greet spectators after the awards ceremony after winning the gold medal in the Swimming competition of the 1984 Summer Olympics on August 3, 1984 at the McDonalds's Olympic Swim Stadium (now known as the Uytengsu Aquatics Center) in Los Angeles, California. Visible are Nancy Hogshead, Tracy Caulkins, and Theresa Andrews.
1026 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
Tracy Caulkins of the United States during the women's 100-meter breaststroke on August 2, 1984 during the XXIII Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Swim Stadium (now the Uytengsu Aquatics Center), the University of Southern California, California, United States.
1026 W 34th St, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
Tracy Caulkins during the women's swimming 100-meter breaststroke competition at the McDonald's Olympic Swim Stadium (now the Uytengsu Aquatics Center), at the 1984 Summer Olympics, on August 2, 1984.
Tracy Caulkins is an American athlete, considered one of the most versatile swimmers ever. She is the only swimmer to set United States records in every stroke, and she won a record 48 United States national swimming titles.
Background
Tracy Caulkins was born on January 11, 1963, in Winona, Minnesota, United States; the youngest of three children of Thomas Caulkins and his wife Martha. Her father was a group-testing coordinator for public schools, who later became a part-time swim coach. Her mother was a junior high school art teacher.
Education
When Caulkins was eight years old, she began swimming at the Seven Hills Swim and Tennis Club, where her older siblings, Amy and Tim, already swam. Originally Caulkins would only swim the backstroke because she did not like getting her face wet. She eventually learned the other strokes, and though she hated the cold water and did not want to practice at first, in a short amount of time she became very good. With the encouragement of her mother and father, Caulkins realized her potential and began to embrace the tougher aspects of swimming.
At the age of ten, Caulkins joined the West Side VC (later known as the Nashville Aquatic Club) and was shortly ranked in the top ten in the nation in a few swimming events. Only two years later, when she was 12 years old, Caulkins qualified for the senior nationals. Some reasons for her success as a swimmer could be found in her body; she had hyperextended knees that gave her leverage and had the ability to do a great kick. She also had a solid stroke and could glide through the water. With her big feet, long arms, and long wingspan, Caulkins's body was built for swimming.
As Caulkins's swimming training intensified, it began to affect her schooling. Her public junior high school would not accommodate her need to travel for her swimming, so she transferred to Harpeth Hall School, a private girls' school. Harpeth was supportive of her swimming, but also was academically demanding.
Caulkins graduated from the University of Florida with her bachelor's degree in broadcasting in 1985.
When Caulkins was 13 years old, she competed in the Olympic Trials for the 1976 Summer Olympics. She did not qualify, but within a year, she would have several titles under her belt and an international reputation. In 1977, she won her first national titles in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championships in the 100- and 200-meter short course breaststroke, and the 200- and 400-meter long course individual medleys. She also won the 100-meter breaststroke at the United States Indoor National Championships that year. Caulkins's international status was cemented at a swim meet between the United States and Germany when she defeated Andrea Pollock, who had won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1976 Olympics.
Caulkins did not make a big deal of these accomplishments but remained focused and determined. She trained hard, swimming eight to ten miles a day and lifting weights three days a week. She even swam with a cast when she broke her leg in 1977.
Although she was only in her late teens, Caulkins was a dominant force in swimming in the late 1970s. The year 1978 was arguably her best as a swimmer. She won the Sullivan Award for best amateur athlete because of the number of championships she had won and records she had set. Caulkins won world championships in the 200-meter butterfly, 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, and won a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke. She also won national championships in the 200-meter long course butterfly, the short course individual medleys, and both the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke. At the AAU National Short Course Championships, she set five United States records, winning the 200-meter medley, the 200-meter backstroke, the 100-meter breaststroke, and the 400-meter individual medley. At the AAU Long Course Championships, she set two world records and five American records, and also won the 200-meter butterfly. In total, in 1978 she broke or tied 27 records, both world and American records.
In 1979, Caulkins continued to dominate on both the American and international stage. She won two gold medals and two silver medals at the Pan American Games, set five United States records at the AAU National Short Course Championships, and won numerous events including the 100-meter breaststroke, 500-meter freestyle, 400-meter individual medley, 400-meter medley relay, 400-meter freestyle relay, and the 200-meter individual medley. Caulkins also took second in the 800-meter freestyle relay. Although she had been sick with a virus a short time before the event, Caulkins did well there; her great concentration and will to win overcame her bodily weakness.
By the 1980 Summer Olympics, which were held in Moscow, U.S.S.R. (now Moscow, Russia), Caulkins expected to dominate because she easily made the United States team. But the United States decided to boycott the games because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Though denied a chance at Olympic gold, Caulkins still swam at the National Outdoor Championships, winning four gold medals and one silver, and was named American Swimmer of the Year.
Despite her Olympic disappointment, Caulkins continued to pile up honors in swimming. In 1981, she became the only swimmer in United States history to win the greatest number of titles when she bested the records set by Ann Curtis Cuneo. In January at the United States Swimming International, she won 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, 100-meter breaststroke, and 100-meter backstroke, setting world records. She also finished second in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly and was part of three winning women's relays. At this meet, she swam against the best swimmers in the world, many of whom competed in the 1980 Olympics, and more than held her own. She also competed in the National Short Course, winning the 200-meter backstroke, setting a national record, and winning three other events in similar fashion.
In 1981, Caulkins entered the University of Florida, where she majored in communications and trained harder in anticipation of the Summer Olympics in 1984. She won 12 NCAA Championships between 1982 and 1984. In 1982 and 1984, she won the Honda Broderick Cup, given to the nation's outstanding female college athlete.
While competing for her college team, Caulkins continued to compete nationally and internationally. In 1982, she won her 36th title, surpassing Johnny Weismuller's record for national titles. At the United States Swimming Long Course National Championships in 1982, she won the 200-meter medley, and at least two other events. Caulkins did not do as well at the World Championships, where the highest she finished was third. In 1983, she won the individual medleys at the Pan American Games, but her times were slower than in the past. She also did not do well at the World Championships, winning neither gold nor silver medals.
By 1984, although there were doubts about Caulkins's ability to win in big competitions, she proved them wrong. At the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competitions that year, she won both of the individual medleys, the 100-yard breaststroke, and the 200-yard butterfly. With other members of the 400-meter freestyle relay team, she set an American record and set an NCAA record in the 800-yard relay with other team members. Caulkins also set records in the 200-meter individual medley, the 400-meter individual medley, the 100-meter breaststroke, and the 200-meter butterfly. She also did well at the National Indoor Championships where, despite an infection, she won the 200-meter individual medleys.
Spurred on by those who still counted her out of Olympic contention, Caulkins reacquired her aggressiveness in training and in races. She did well at the Olympics, where she was captain of the swim team. At the Olympic Trials, she set an American record in the 200-meter individual medley. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she won the 200-meter medley (setting an Olympic record with a time of 2:12.64); the 400-meter medley (with a time of 4.39.4); and with three others as part of 4 × 100-meter medley relay team. Caulkins also placed fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke.
After the Olympics ended, the 21-year-old Caulkins retired. After her retirement, Caulkins did commercial endorsements and worked as a commentator for swimming competitions. After marrying swimmer Mark Stockwell in 1991, Caulkins and her husband moved to Australia, where she worked as an executive officer for the Australian Academy of Sport in Queensland, Australia, and was president of Womensport Queensland.
Tracy Caulkins and her spouse established Stockwell Foundation, a charitable organization to benefit at-risk children.
Quotations:
"There's a thrill when you have a hard set, a rugged workout, and you feel it, and you take it, and you go beyond it."
"I know a lot of people think it's monotonous, down the black lines over and over, but it's not if you're enjoying what you're doing. I love to swim and I love to train."
Personality
Known for her carefree personality, Tracy Caulkins made winning look easy and, by early 1984, had 48 national and 62 American swimming titles.
Physical Characteristics:
Tracy Caulkins is 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall and weighs 132 lb (60 kg).
Quotes from others about the person
Randy Reese: "She's the greatest swimmer that has ever been so far, men or women."
Interests
Sport & Clubs
Swimming
Connections
Tracy Caulkins is married to Mark Stockwell, an Olympic Swimming Medalist from Australia. They have five children.
1978 (Berlin) - 200 m butterfly
1978 (Berlin) - 200 m medley
1978 (Berlin) - 400 m medley
1978 (Berlin) - 4×100 m freestyle
1978 (Berlin) - 4×100 m medley
1978 (Berlin) - 200 m butterfly
1978 (Berlin) - 200 m medley
1978 (Berlin) - 400 m medley
1978 (Berlin) - 4×100 m freestyle
1978 (Berlin) - 4×100 m medley
Pan American Games Gold Medal
1979 (San Juan) - 200 m medley
1979 (San Juan) - 400 m medley
1979 (San Juan) - 4×100 m freestyle
1979 (San Juan) - 4×100 m medley
1983 (Caracas) - 200 m medley
1983 (Caracas) - 400 m medley