USRowing is proud to announce that its most prestigious recognition, formerly known as the Medal of Honor, will be renamed the Anita DeFrantz Medal of Honor beginning with the 2025 awards. This change celebrates one of rowing’s most influential athletes and leaders, ensuring her legacy will continue to inspire future generations. The medal will be presented annually to an individual who, like Anita DeFrantz ’74, embodies integrity, leadership and a lifelong dedication to advancing rowing.

USRowing Chair of the Board of Directors Kirsten Feldman shared the news with DeFrantz at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly, where DeFrantz received the Olympic & Paralympic Torch Award, presented each year to an individual whose work has had a lasting impact on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements. This marks the second major recognition she has received from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) this year, following her induction into the USOPC Hall of Fame in July. DeFrantz is the first female rower to be inducted. 

In response to the honor, DeFrantz shared a simple but powerful message: “Rowing belongs to everyone, and we need everyone to take part.”

The current Anita DeFrantz Award for Advancing Diversity in Rowing will be renamed the United We Row Award, reflecting the sport's ongoing commitment to inclusion and representation.

DeFrantz’s career began during a chance encounter with Connecticut College rowing coach Bart Gullong during a walk across campus her sophomore year. By the end of the conversation, DeFrantz had accepted an invitation to join the Women’s Rowing team.

“I knew nothing about rowing, but I loved the opportunity to be out on the water, and the freedom that came with it,” she recalled. “Racing with the school uniform on was something that was magical to me, and I loved working really hard with the team.” 

“If I hadn’t walked across campus that day at that time, who knows?” DeFrantz continued. “It began an opportunity that has taken me literally around the world.”

DeFrantz’s influence on rowing and the broader Olympic movement is unmatched. A trailblazing athlete, she won a bronze medal in the women’s eight at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the first Olympics to include women’s rowing. She later became a vocal advocate for athletes’ rights, including filing her own lawsuit in opposition to the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games. For her leadership, she received the Olympic Order, the highest honor bestowed by the International Olympic Committee.

“Anita DeFrantz’s influence on rowing and the Olympic movement is incomparable,” said Kirsten Feldman, USRowing board chair. “Her legacy as an athlete, leader and advocate has elevated USRowing and inspired generations to see our sport as one of opportunity, inclusion and excellence. Renaming our highest honor after her ensures that every future recipient of this award will continue to reflect the values Anita has championed throughout her remarkable career.”

Beyond her athletic achievements, DeFrantz served for more than 20 years as president of the LA84 Foundation, where she oversaw the distribution of over $225 million in grants to more than 2,000 youth sports organizations. She also played a pivotal role as vice president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Olympic Games, helping deliver one of the most successful events in Olympic history. 

In 1986, she broke new ground as the first African American and the first woman elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She went on to join the IOC Executive Board in 1992, chair the Women and Sport Commission in 1995, and in 1997, became the first woman elected as an IOC vice president, serving until 2001 and returning to the role in 2018.

In 2016, she was inducted into the Rowing Hall of Fame alongside fellow Camel Tim Young ’92. DeFrantz is an emeritus trustee and was inducted into the Connecticut College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1995, Kathryn Smith ’84 established the Anita L. DeFrantz Award, given annually to the graduating man and woman who best exemplify DeFrantz’s qualities of sportsmanship, leadership and athletic prowess. 

Her accolades include the 1999 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and the 2024 NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award. She currently serves as president of the Tubman Truth Corp. and is a member of LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic Games. 

By bearing her name, the Anita DeFrantz Medal of Honor will continue to recognize individuals whose service, vision and dedication leave a lasting mark on rowing in the United States and around the world.