American beach volleyball star Misty May-Treanor is a three-time Olympic gold medalist who enjoyed a record-breaking career. She and her teammate Kerri Walsh-Jennings have been called "the greatest beach volleyball team of all time." During the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics, May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings won three consecutive gold medals, cementing themselves in Olympic history as icons of the sport and making it one of the most popular events at the summer Olympics.

May-Treanor was born in 1977 in Los Angeles to athlete parents. Her mother was a nationally ranked tennis star and her father was a member of the 1968 United States men's national volleyball team. Unfortunately, both parents were alcoholics, and May-Treanor spent most of her childhood living with her grandparents.

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May-Treanor played indoor volleyball at California State University, Long Beach, where she earned several athletic awards and led her team to the 1998 NCAA title in her senior year. She then attended Concordia University in Irvine, California, and earned a master's in coaching and athletic administration.

May-Treanor joined the United States women's national volleyball team in 1999, but after a few months decided to give beach volleyball a shot instead. She and Holly McPeak finished fifth after losing in the quarterfinals at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The following year, she formed her beach volleyball partnership with Kerri Walsh, and by 2002 they were ranked number one in the world. In 2003, the duo did even better, winning a then-record 90 straight matches and all eight tournaments in which they competed, including the world championships. Their success and dynamic teamwork carried them to victory through the next three Olympics games.

May-Treanor retired in 2012 as one of the most successful beach volleyball players to play the game, having won 112 tournaments in domestic and international competitions. She was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016. She is still involved in the volleyball world, serving as the director of volleyball operations at her alma mater, Long Beach College. She also owns a beach volleyball club called Dream In Gold (DIG) and serves as a Sports Ambassador for Special Olympics Southern California.