Misty May Treanor Speaker Biography
Most Successful Female Volleyball Player in History, Olympic Gold Medalist, NCAA All-American and World Champion
Misty May-Treanor is considered one of the greatest female beach volleyball players in history. Along with teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings, she won three Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008 & 2012) and three FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships (2003, 2005 & 2007). In total, May-Treanor won 112 tournaments . She was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016 and Southern California Indoor Hall of Fame in 2017.
Olympic Volleyball
No other beach volleyball team has managed to match the seamless dynamic of Misty and her long-time partner Kerri Walsh Jennings. The duo broke onto the international scene with a gold-medal win at the Athens 2004 Olympics. They repeated their winning streak four years later in Beijing, not to mention an extensive collection of title championships, both nationally and worldwide, that they captured in between.
Media
Misty’s performance and solid character earned her numerous corporate sponsorships and media spotlight, including appearances on Wizards of Waverly Place, CSI: Miami, The Daily Show and the Late Show with David Letterman. . A ruptured Achilles tendon may have ended her run on Dancing with the Stars in 2008, but did not stop her from going on to win her third and final gold with Walsh Jennings in the 2012 London Olympics.
Early Career
May-Treanor was born in Los Angeles and grew up playing beach volleyball in Santa Monica with her parents. She went to high school at Newport Harbor High School and her senior year was named by USA Today as the top high school volleyball player in the United States. May-Treanor played collegiately at Long Beach State from 1995-1999 and helped lead the 49ers to a perfect 36-0 record in 1998 and a NCAA championship. She won numerous awards in college, including consecutive National Player of the Year awards in 1997 and 1998 and the Honda-Broderick Cup in 1998-1999.
Retirement
Since her retirement from competitive sports, Misty has been an active emissary of the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2013 she graduated with a master’s degree in coaching and administration and works as a volleyball coach in southern California and motivational speaker nationwide.
Director of Volleyball
In 2016, May-Treanor was named Long Beach City College’s Director of Volleyball and coaches the women’s beach volleyball and indoor teams. In 2016-17, the indoor team recorded a 16-5 mark and won its first conference championship in 16 years. May-Treanor is also owner of Dream in Gold Volleyball Club, which offers training and clinics for aspiring indoor and beach volleyball players.
President’s Council on Sports
In 2018, May-Treanor was appointed by President Trump along with Mariano Rivera, Herschel Walker and Bill Belichick to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Misty May Treanor Speaking Topics
Communication
Every person reacts to stress and adversity differently. Some get loud, some become reserved, others fly-off-the-handle. However, great leaders and teammates understand that solid, positive communication during downtimes can be the difference between success and failure. Our words and actions matter, especially under duress.
Teamwork
Whether we like it or not, our fate (i.e. success or failure) is inextricably linked to the people with whom we surround ourselves. Being on a team has a great deal to do with recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses. Determining when the team needs you to lead and when the team needs you to support is a critical component of collaboration.
Commitment
After performing at a high level over time, it is human nature to hit “cruise control” and let complacency begin to take hold. Understanding that it is our overall “body of work” that matters most, not a singular accomplishment, we can divide and conquer.
Misty May Treanor Books
