About Allison Wagner

Allison has been teaching swimming on a group and individual level for 6 years. Currently the primary swim instructor at University of San Francisco's Koret Aquatic Center, Allison teaches individuals of all ages and abilities more proficient stroke technique. As a former medley swimmer, she has a background in all four strokes and all turns and starts. She also teaches children and adults how to swim and to generally become comfortable in the water. Allison is also available as a motivational speaker to groups and teams.

Allison's specialty as a professional swimmer was the Individual Medley. The event consists of four strokes in this order: butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, and freestyle. It has been compared to the decathalon in track and field. There are two distances offered in international and national competition, the 200 and 400 meters. Swimming events can either be in a short course or long course venue (the Olympics is long course and this is generally considered the most competitive and most universal course).

Her specialty among the four strokes was the breastroke. (She was national champion in the 200 breastroke.) Allison utilizes a unique and not very widely used backstroke to breastroke transition turn. (She previously held the fastest split of all time for the 400 Individual Medly in the backstroke.) Allison's first national championship was at the age of 15. She broke the world record at 16 in 1993. It is currently the longest held world record for women's swimming in short course meters.

Allison was sponsored for two years from '98-'00 by Speedo as an athlete representative.

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Allison paints using oils and acrylics and watercolors. She also does makes scrolls and pieces of calligraphy using a Japanese Brushtroke technique. Photography is another passion.