DENVER — Missy Franklin is a mom!
The five-time Olympic gold medalist and Regis Jesuit graduate, along with her husband, former University of Texas swimmer Hayes Johnson, announced the birth of their daughter on Instagram.
"She’s more perfect than anything we could have ever imagined," the post reads. "We love you so much Caitlin💕"
Sarah Caitlin Johnson was born on Aug. 11 at 4:17 a.m., the posts says, a birthday she shares with her grandfather, Franklin's dad.
She was named after "an incredibly special person" in Johnson's family, according to Franklin's post.
Franklin became one of the sport's biggest stars when she captured four gold medals and a bronze as a 17-year-old high-schooler at the 2012 London Olympics.
She also competed at the 2016 Rio Games, where she was plagued by shoulder injuries but still managed another gold as a preliminary relay swimmer.
In a letter published to ESPN.com in December 2018, she said she would have to have another shoulder surgery to continue swimming and that was not something she was comfortable doing. She also said she was ready to start focusing on other stages of her life, like getting married and eventually having children.
"I began to realize that my greatest dream in life, more so than Olympic gold, has always been becoming a mom," Franklin said in her letter. "Swimming had been such a huge part of my life for as long as I could remember, but it was not my entire life. I still have dreams, goals, aspirations and intentions I plan on living out every day of my life."
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