Jack Conger loved to watch the fishermen bring in their hauls while on vacation as a toddler in North Carolina. His mom wanted him to be water safe, so he learned to swim. A few summers later, he watched Michael Phelps win eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics and told his mom “that’s what I want to do.”
Conger failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but he set the American record in the 200-yard butterfly (twice held by Phelps) in 2015. Conger still holds that record. At the 2016 Olympic trials, the Rockville, Maryland, native finished third in two events -- earning a spot to compete in the 200-meter free relay in Rio.
Conger graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in 2013. He is competing on the swim team at the University of Texas and studying corporate communication.
