Media Relations

Olympic gold medalist Claire Donahue to speak at WKU’s Freshman Assembly

Date: Friday, August 31st, 2012

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Members of WKU’s Class of 2016 will hear from Olympic gold medalist and former Hilltopper swimmer Claire Donahue at the annual Freshman Assembly on Sept. 4.

Olympic gold medalist and former WKU swimmer Claire Donahue will be the featured speaker at the Freshman Assembly on Sept. 4. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Diddle Arena. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)

The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Diddle Arena. This year’s theme is “the best years of your life.” All freshmen are expected to attend unless they have a night class on Tuesday.

WKU President Gary Ransdell will preside over the ceremony and speak to the freshman class at the event that foreshadows the Class of 2016 graduation ceremony. Freshmen will receive a WKU 2012: The Beginning… lapel pin to signify the beginning of their college experience.

Donahue, a native of Lenoir City, Tenn., became the first WKU Olympic athlete to ever claim a gold medal at the Summer Olympics. She swam the butterfly leg in the preliminary heats for Team USA in the 4×100 medley relay in the London Games.

Donahue became just the second WKU athlete to compete in two separate events during the Olympics and placed seventh in the 100-meter butterfly. In the 2011 Pan American Games, Donahue won gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and the 4×100 medley relay.

Contact: Cort Basham, (270) 745-6343.