Sammy Lee

Sammy Lee, born on August 1, 1920, was a Korean-American athlete and physician who made significant contributions to the fields of diving and medicine. Despite facing discrimination and adversity throughout his life, Lee's determination and talent propelled him to become an Olympic champion and a trailblazer for Asian-American athletes.

Lee's passion for diving began at a young age but he faced discrimination due to his ethnicity. He had to overcome segregation of swimming pools, limited training opportunities, and racial prejudice. Despite these obstacles, he quickly rose through the ranks, winning multiple national championships and setting records. However, his dreams of competing in the Olympics were put on hold during World War II when he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. After the war, Lee returned to diving and made history at the 1948 London Olympics, becoming the first Asian-American man to win a gold medal in diving in the 10 meter platform event along with a bronze medal in 3 meter springboard event.  He followed up this achievement with another gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, solidifying his place as one of the greatest divers of his time.

Aside from his success in diving, Lee pursued a career in medicine. He attended medical school at the University of Southern California (USC) while continuing to compete in diving. He became a doctor, specializing in otolaryngology, and went on to serve in the U.S. Olympic medical team for several Games.