“Ann Curtis was born in San Francisco. At the age of 12, she joined a swim team coached by the famous Charlie Sava. Despite being kicked off the team at least once, she persevered and became an “athletic legend” and a household name in America. ”
— 1926
“Throughout the 1940’s Ann was the world’s most dominant female freestyle swimmer, winning 31 national titles; a record that stood for nearly 40 years. She went on to break four World Records and 56 American Records. In 1944 she became the first woman and the first swimmer to win the Sullivan award – an award given to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
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— 1940's
“The height of Ann’s swimming career came in the 1948 London Olympic Games, where she captured three medals – gold in the 400 meter freestyle and 4×100 meter freestyle relay, and a silver in the 100 meter freestyle. ”
— 1948
“After the Olympics, Ann married Gordon Cuneo, who she met while attending UC Berkeley. With three children and one on the way, the Cuneos moved from San Francisco to San Rafael, where they built the swimming facilities. Gordon built the office and pump room after work and on the weekends. ”
— 1950’S
“The Cuneos officially opened the Ann Curtis School of Swimming in San Rafael. ”
— 1959
“For the following 60 years, the Cuneo family provided a valuable service to the community. It is estimated that over 40,000 students have learned to swim at the school. ”
— 1960’S
“To honor her achievements in the sport of swimming, Ann was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. In 1983, she was also inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. ”
— 1966
“Ann ran the school until 1996. At that point her daughter, Carrie, took over and continued to provide the same high-quality lessons for which Ann strived. ”
— 1996
“Nathan Adrian and Will Copeland, who would later go on to acquire the facility, met and became teammates at Cal. They continued to train together for the following six years. ”
— 2006
“Nathan won the 100 meter freestyle at the London Olympics, becoming the first American to win the event since 1988. He added another gold and one silver medal on relays. ”
— 2012
“In April of 2019, the Cuneo family passed their legacy on to Nathan and Will, whose goal is to continue what Ann and her family started in 1959. ”
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