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North Carolina’s own Kathleen Baker is returning from Rio with two medals from her first Olympic appearance.
The 19-year-old, Winston-Salem native earned her first medal by finishing second in the women’s 100 backstroke and earned a second medal in the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay, leading off team USA with the backstroke to take home the gold.
Baker currently attends the University of California-Berkeley and trains with the SwimMAC Elite team in Charlotte. Through her success as an athlete and Olympian, Baker hopes to serve as an inspiration to others with her fight against Crohn’s disease.
– Leah Brown, S&A Communications