Paralympian Erin Popovich, who has 14 gold medals, becomes athlete rep on USA Swimming Board of Directors

From Swimming World:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Erin Popovich (pictured), a three-time Paralympian with an incredible 14 career Paralympic gold medals, retired shortly after this year's World Championships and has taken a position as an athlete representative on the USA Swimming Board of Directors.

Popovich, who was born with achondroplasia, a genetic disorder that restricts the growth of a person's limbs, took the Paralympic swimming community by storm in 2000 with three gold medals and three silver medals in Sydney. She returned in 2004 with a clean sweep of seven gold medals in Athens, before snagging four golds and two silvers at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. She won the Swimming World Disabled Swimmer of the Year award in 2005 for her efforts.

This year, she joined Patrick Dideum and Megan Ryther as athlete representatives on the USA Swimming Board of Directors. Tyler Storie and Tim Liebhold are members of the Athlete Executive Committee, which is also part of the Board of Directors.

Popovich, swimming in her final international meet, was prominently featured in content provided by USA Paralympics in conjunction with SwimmingWorld.TV from the International Paralympic Committee's World Swimming Championships held this year in The Netherlands.