Five fantastic Olympic females, where are they now?

(page 2 of 2)

Kerri Strug

Then: After achieving the impossible, a nation held her up like her coach did when the American gymnastic team clinched gold in 1996.

Strug was in pain from a sprained ankle that could hardly allow her to walk. She vaulted into the history books with a landing that defied reality.

Immediately, Strug was featured on the cover of both Time and People magazines in the same week. She then went on to appear on television shows that fall including "Beverly Hills 90210," "Saturday Night Live," and "Touched by an Angel."

Now: Following the Atlanta Olympics popularity surge, Kerri went to Stanford University to major in Communications and then obtained her MA in Sociology.

For a few years following graduation, Kerri served as a second grade teacher in San Jose, California.

Her involvement in athletics has never waned.

Kerri has served as a spokesperson for the Special Olympics and the Children's Miracle Network as well as running clinics year-round in her current home, Washington, D.C.

Strug has written two books, one a biography and the other directed squarely at American girls, "Hearts of Gold." It is an effort to reach young women who can learn from Strug's own troubles, on and off the matt.

Still active promoting her sport through her Kerri Strug gymnastic clinics in Washington, D.C., the gold medal-winner is still inspiring young women who seek to make a run at the tough world of women's gymnastics.

As we see in the photo below, Kerri (and Mary Lou) is passionate about her politics. Here she is at the 2004 Rebublican National Convention.

By living in D.C., Kerri can now indulge her political passions. She has held several positions in the government in the last three years including stints in the Office of Presidential Student Correspondence at the White House and the Treasury Department in the Office of General Counsel. Strug is currently a political appointee at the United States Department of Justice in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, where she hopes to continue inspiring today's youth.

Joan Benoit

Then: This woman ran like no other. During the very first chance that women had to run a marathon in an Olympic games, there was Benoit winning by almost a minute.

In 1984, if not for Mary Lou Retton, Benoit would have been story number one of those Olympics.

Wtnessing Benoit dragging herself into the Los Angeles Colliseum at the end of her 26-mile trek was pure emotion. Glowing with the patriotic glow of 100,000 pepople cheering with a deafening roar as Benoit crossed the finish line is still one of the Olympics most touching moments of all time.

Now: Benoit is still running and helps others achieve their athletic best through the running clinic she runs in her native Maine.

Benoit is still active in the running circuit and has made some notable appearances of late.

This year's Boston Marathan women's race (below) was began by one of the women credited with sending the sport's popularity beyond compare.

Did we mention, she also served as Lance Armstrong's trainer during his record-breaking Tour de France run and still advises his fitness regimen! That must be a tough job.

Olympic coverage on SheKnows

Olympic fashion for amateurs
Olympic swimmer Dara Torres
Catching up with Carrie Tollefson