Maya DiRado
Maya DiRado | |
|---|---|
| Born | Madeline Jane DiRado-Andrews April 5, 1993 |
| Occupation(s) | Swimmer, Business Analyst |
| Years active | –2016 (competitive swimming) |
| Known for | Olympic gold medalist swimmer |
Madeline Jane "Maya" DiRado-Andrews (born April 5, 1993) is a former American swimmer who excelled in freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and individual medley disciplines. She represented Stanford University during her collegiate career, where she claimed NCAA championships in the 200 and 400 meter individual medley in 2014 and earned a degree in management science and engineering. At the 2016 US Olympic Trials, DiRado secured spots for the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 200m and 400m individual medley as well as the 200m backstroke. In Rio de Janeiro, she achieved two gold medals (women's 4x200m freestyle relay, 200m backstroke), one silver (400m individual medley), and one bronze (200m individual medley). She retired from competitive swimming soon after the Olympic Games.
Early life
DiRado is the daughter of Ruben DiRado and Marit (née Parker). Her father hails from Argentina, with his parents having emigrated there from Italy following World War II. The nickname "Maya" originated from her sister’s inability to pronounce Madeline correctly.
She started swimming at six years old with the Santa Rosa Neptunes, where she trained alongside future Olympic teammate Molly Hannis. At age 17, she graduated from Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, becoming a three-time state champion in the 200-yard individual medley. In 2010, she set a California state record in the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:56.17 and also won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.83 seconds.
Collegiate career
Continuing her family’s legacy, DiRado enrolled at Stanford University. During her freshman year, she earned second place in the 200-yard IM (1:54.66) and third place in the 400-yard IM (4:01.02) at the Division I NCAA Championships. The following year, she finished third and fourth in the 200 and 400-yard IM events respectively and took second place in the 200-yard backstroke behind Elizabeth Beisel (1:51.42), who would later become her Olympic teammate. She broke an age group record for female swimmers aged 17–18 by becoming only the fifth woman to swim under four minutes in the 400 IM (3:59.88).
At the NCAA Championships in 2013, DiRado placed third in the 200-yard IM, second in the 400-yard IM, and fifth in the 200-yard backstroke. She rounded out her Stanford tenure by capturing individual titles in both the 200 and 400-yard IM and finishing second in the 200-yard butterfly. Her outstanding senior season earned her recognition as the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year.
Her All-American accolades include:
- 200 backstroke: 2011 (5th), 2012 (2nd)
- 200 IM: 2011 (2nd), 2012 (3rd)
- 400 IM: 2011 (3rd), 2012 (4th)
- 400 free relay: 2011 (5th)
- 800 free relay: 2011 (9th), 2012 (7th)
2012 Olympic Trials
At the 2012 US Olympic Trials, DiRado participated in three events: the 200 meter IM, 400 meter IM, and 200 meter backstroke. She placed fourth in both individual medley races but did not qualify for the Olympics since only the top two finishers advanced.
2013 World Championships
DiRado earned qualification for three events at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships held in Barcelona: the 400 meter IM, 200 meter butterfly, and the women's 4x200 meter freestyle relay. She secured her places by winning the national title in the 400 meter IM, taking silver in the 200 meter butterfly, and finishing fifth in the 200 meter freestyle at the Phillips 66 National Championships that year.
During Worlds, she swam in the preliminary heats of the women's 4x200 meter freestyle relay alongside teammates Chelsea Chenault, Karlee Bispo, and Jordan Mattern. The finals squad featured Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin among others and went on to win gold; as a result, DiRado received a gold medal for her contribution during prelims. Individually, she placed fourth in the 400 meter IM and twelfth in the 200 meter butterfly.
2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
During the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, DiRado secured a gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley and a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley. Her finishing time of 2:09.93 in the 200-meter IM matched the meet record previously established by Emily Seebohm in 2010. In the 400-meter IM, she placed second with a time of 4:35.37, trailing teammate Elizabeth Beisel, and also finished ninth in the 200-meter butterfly event.
2015 World Championships
At the Swimming at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, DiRado participated in two individual medley races. She narrowly missed podium placement in the 200-meter IM, coming in fourth with a time of 2:08.99. Nevertheless, she earned her inaugural individual World Championship medal by winning silver in the 400-meter IM with a time of 4:31.71, finishing behind Katinka Hosszú.
2016 Summer Olympics
DiRado qualified for the Rio Olympics at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials by winning the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys as well as the 200-meter backstroke.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, DiRado collected four medals: two golds, one silver, and one bronze. She took silver in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:31.15, finishing behind world-record holder Katinka Hosszú. In the 200m individual medley, she earned bronze with a personal best of 2:08.79. Although she did not qualify individually for the 200-meter freestyle, she was selected for the 4×200m freestyle relay, where she contributed to a gold medal performance alongside teammates Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith, and Katie Ledecky. In her final event, the 200m backstroke, DiRado edged out Hosszú by six hundredths of a second (2:05.99 to 2:06.05) to capture gold.
2016–2021: Retirement and new pursuits
After achieving Olympic success in August 2016, DiRado stepped away from competitive swimming.[1][2] She has continued to engage with the sport through leadership positions on both the United States Swimming Foundation and USA Swimming boards.[1]
In 2020, DiRado spoke to the leadership council at the University of Minnesota about teamwork and leadership philosophies rooted in core personal values.[3] As of August 2021, she had not returned to competition.[2]
Personal life
DiRado wed Rob Andrews, a former Stanford swimmer, on September 19, 2015, in Santa Rosa, California. The couple originally met while both were members of Stanford’s swim team. In August 2021, DiRado shared that they were expecting their first child; this announcement became one of the most-read stories on SwimSwam that year. Their son, Charlie Alan Andrews, was born in January 2022.
In March 2017, DiRado began working as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company, concentrating on strategic improvements in healthcare procurement and risk assessment within banking sectors. By May 2018, she transitioned to an Associate role at King Philanthropies, a grantmaking organization. DiRado earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.
Personal Records
| Event | Performance | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m individual medley | 2:08.79 | Rio de Janeiro | August 9, 2016 |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:31.15 | Rio de Janeiro | August 6, 2016 |
| 200 m butterfly stroke | 2:07.42 | Gold Coast | August 21, 2014 |
| 100 m backstroke | 1:00.36 | Santa Clara | June 4, 2016 |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:05.99 | Rio de Janeiro | August 12, 2016 |