Hear from Brevard native Mitzi Tighe on her 1988 Olympic bronze medal-winning experience

The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony is set to take place July 26 with top athletes from all over the world ready to represent their countries.

At the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea, Brevard County was represented by swimmer Mitzi Kremer, now Tighe, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

Tighe was joined on the relay by Dara Torres, Mary Wayte and Laura Walker. Germany won gold and the Netherlands won the silver medal in the event.

"The beautiful thing about swimming is you know right away, and it was a very surreal moment," Tighe said. "I would have never expected to get a medal because I had two different surgeries, so just making the team was unbelievable."

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Tighe is a Titusville High graduate and is currently the head swimming coach at Rockledge High School. She swam collegiately at Clemson University and racked up multiple honors during her time in college.

Despite all the swimming Tighe had done in her life prior to the Olympics, she admits that nervousness was the emotion she felt ahead of her medal-winning relay.

"I was more than nervous. We were walking out from the ready room from prelims and one of the swimmers from Australia just said, 'take a deep breath' and it really just impacted me so much because here is a competitor saying that, and that's what most people don't get to see," she said.

Tighe also competed in the 100 and 200 freestyle in Seoul. She finished sixth in the 200-freestyle final.

While winning an Olympic medal was the highlight of Tighe time at the Seoul games, she mentioned her experience in the Olympic Village as something that also stuck with her over the years.

"It's like almost like a big college thing, people are so open. Just the awe of being there, you walk into the cafe and can sit down with anyone and start conversation," Tighe said. "I met a lot of athletes from the USA who played other sports and I met athletes from other countries."

Tighe was able to have her immediate family there to support her at the Olympics and coming back to Brevard County after the Olympics was one of the best feelings for her. Being able to be celebrate and share her joy with her community was something that made winning the medal even better.

"Brevard was so supportive during that time. It's the supportive people and the family members that make it special," Tighe said. "One of the hard things about being an USA athlete is the pressure you get from the media, just the pressure to place, but when I came back to Titusville everyone was so proud and supportive."

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hear from Brevard native Mitzi Tighe on her 1988 Olympic bronze medal-winning experience