DEERFIELD — This Franklin County town will be represented in Rio de Janeiro by Class of ’99 Deerfield Academy graduate and U.S. Olympic Team triathlete Sarah Groff True.
She’ll compete for Team USA in the women’s triathlon event held at Copacabana Beach on Aug. 20, starting at 10 a.m. during the 2016 Summer Olympics.
“We’re incredibly proud,” said Jessica Day, a Deerfield Academy spokeswoman. “We’re wishing her the best of luck from Deerfield — I’m sure we’ll have a lot of students watching. We’re really happy for her.”
It’s the second Olympic medal bid for 34-year-old Groff True, who was born in Hanover, N.H., in 1981, and grew up in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Four years ago in London, she placed fourth in the women’s triathlon during the 2012 Olympic games — missing bronze by 10 seconds behind Australian representative Erin Densham.
According to Team USA’s website, Groff True transferred to Deerfield Academy from Cooperstown High School as a junior.
Day said that at the local school, Groff True ran cross-country and competed on the school’s swimming and cycling teams, earning All-New England Prep Honors.
Following high school, Groff True went to Middlebury College in Vermont in 2004 where she studied conservation biology and studio art. All four years of college, she swam as a freestyler and earned All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and All-American honors. Her final year, she won the NESCAC 1,650 meter freestyle.
She now lives in Hanover, N.H.
Among her many athletic accomplishments, she was named 2011-12 USA Triathlon Olympic Athlete of the year. In 2014, she earned the number two spot in triathlon world rankings. The following year, 2015, she finished the year ranked number three in the world.
On Aug. 2, 2015, she qualified for the 2016 Olympics by placing fourth in the Rio de Janeiro ITU Olympic World Qualification Event for the triathlon.
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