title: Melanie Valerio
text: # Melanie Valerio
  
  Melanie M. Valerio (born May 7, 1969) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.
  
  Valerio was born in Campbell, Ohio and graduated from the Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio. Afterward, she attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she swam for the Virginia Cavaliers swimming and diving team.
  
  At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Valerio earned a gold medal by swimming for the winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
  
  Valerio races Ironman and is an elite age-group member of the Timex Multisport Team. She often blogs her races and training for Timex..
  
  