Simone Manuel is one of the most well-known African-American female swimmers of all time. The athlete made headlines when she won two gold and two silver medal in Olympics in swimming during the Rio games and set an Olympic record in the process.
Manuel has won six NCAA individual titles, including the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events in 2015, 2017, and 2018. The swimmer began her career early and has since then established a good reputation for herself.
Many people have started noticing the athlete due to her ever-increasing popularity and want to learn more about her. So, in this biography, we will take a look at Simone Manuel's career and lifestyle.
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Early Life and Family
On August 2, 1996, Simone Manuel was born to parents Marc Manuel and Sharron Manual. The swimmer was born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, alongside her brothers Chris Manuel and Ryan Manual.
Simone Manuel pursued her secondary education from Fort Bend Austin High School and graduated in 2014. She enrolled in Stanford University for her higher studies, from which she graduated with a degree in communication in 2018. Simone's brother, Ryan, on the other hand, is a graduate of SMU. Chris, her older brother, is an artist who is currently married.
Simone's parents reared her in an athletic environment, and when she was four years old, her mother enrolled her in swimming lessons. Simone noticed she had a knack for swimming at a young age and progressed rapidly as a swimmer. The athlete was so gifted that she was placed in training groups with children considerably older than herself soon after she began her lessons.
Simone Manuel was raised in an athletic family, and she developed an interest in swimming from a young age. Image Source: Simone Manuel Instagram.
Unfortunately, what should have been a source of encouragement turned into a source of despair as people continued to doubt her talents, shaking the swimmer's confidence as she had to justify her love and interests repeatedly.
Simone pondered quitting swimming altogether and enrolling in dancing lessons when she was ten years old because she felt constantly left out and had to deal with racial stereotypes all of the time. Simone Manuel's mother, on the other hand, persuaded her to pursue both interests concurrently. By age eleven, Manuel had joined the First Colony Swim Team in Houston.
On her Instagram feed, the swimmer is constantly complimenting her family. It's apparent that the family is extremely tight and always looks out for one another. Simone Manual's parents must be delighted with their daughter's accomplishment.
Simone Manual's mother enrolled all of her children in swimming lessons as a precaution since she didn't want them to be involved in any mishaps. Who would have guessed that one of her children would make a career out of it someday?
Successful Career as A Professional Swimmer
As mentioned above, Simone Manuel's career as a swimmer began at an early age. However, even before she competed in national and international championships, the swimmer was already making strides in local tournaments.
Simone made her international debut in 2011 at the FINA World Junior Championships, finishing fourth in the 100-meter freestyle. The following year, the athlete won the 100-meter relay at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming.
Simone Manuel has won multiple championships and broken numerous records throughout her career as a professional swimmer. Image Source: Simone Manual Instagram.
The sportswoman also competed in the 2012 United States Olympic Trials and placed 20th in the 50-meter freestyle and 17th in the 100-meter freestyle races. In 2014, Simone became a member of the Stanford Cardinal women's swimming team and not only won but broke the university record in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle competition. The same year, she broke the 100-yard freestyle at the NCCA championship.
Simone finished fourth in the 4x100 medley relay, sixth in the 100-meter freestyle and eighth in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. The athlete was also awarded the national best female swimmer at the Honda Sports Award.
2016 Olympics Trials
All her efforts and hard work did not go unnoticed, and soon she made her way to the 2016 US Olympic Trials. Manuel finished second in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events and her performances in the event earned her a spot at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The athlete won a gold medal in the Olympics during the Rio Championship and set an Olympic record in the process.
2017 & 2019 World Championships
Simone also competed in the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. Some of the achievements she made during both the championships are:
| Year | Category | Rank |
| 2017 | 100m Freestyle | First |
| 2017 | 4x100m Freestyle | First |
| 2017 | 4x100m Medley | First |
| 2017 | 50m Freestyle | Third |
| 2019 | 50m Freestyle | First |
| 2019 | 4x100m Medley | First |
| 2019 | 4x100m Freestyle | Second |
| 2019 | 4x200m Freestyle | Second |
The swimmer switched to professional swimming on July 24, 2018, when she signed with TYR Sport Inc., an American manufacturer of competitive swimwear and gears. Since then, Simone Manuel's career has only reached new heights.
2020 Olympics Trials
Manuel placed first in the final of the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 24.29, qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Simone was selected as a captain for the first time at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. However, Manuel was unable to qualify for the 2020 US Olympic Trials in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
On the other hand, coach Greg Meehan of Team USA decided to put her on the relay team's finals. In the final, Manuel helped the relay finish in third place and won her first bronze medal of the 2020 Olympics in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
Simone is determined to bring as many medals as she can home. Her 50m freestyle relay is scheduled for July 30, 2020, where she will be competing against swimmers Barbora Seemanova, Melanie Henrique, Maria Kameneva, Emma Mckeon, Femke Heemskerk, and Etienne Medeiros.
Simone Manuels Net Worth and Earnings
Simone has been in the sports industry for more than a decade as a swimmer. Over the years, the sportsperson has competed in several relay matches and won multiple medals. As a result, Simone Manuel's net worth is primarily earnings from her professional swimming career.
According to some sources, players at the World Championships get $60,000 for gold, $30,000 for silver, and $20,000 for bronze. Throughout her career, the athlete has won several gold, silver, and bronze medals at multiple events in the World Championship. Similarly, the USOPC's "Operation Gold" awards gold medalists $37,500, silver medalists $22,500, and bronze medalists $15,000 at the Olympics. Therefore, Simone Manuel's net worth must have increased dramatically due to the prize money she earned.
Most of Simone Manuel's net worth comes from her profession as a professional swimmer. Image Source: Simone Manuel Instagram.
With all of Simone's accomplishments in such a short period, it's no surprise that she's been offered huge partnerships and collaborations. Coca-Cola, Nike, P&G, Toyota, and other well-known businesses have partnered with the Olympic swimmer. In addition, brands such as BICSoliel and Tide have also collaborated with her.
Simone is also the co-founder of TOGETHXR. Given all of her high-profile sponsors and partnerships, Simone Manuel's net worth must be remarkable.
In addition, with her first partnership with TYR, Simone was able to put an inclusion rider or equity rider in her contract. The Olympic swimmer also promotes and sells her swimsuit and equipment at SwinOutlet with the same partner. On her website, her items range in price from $22.49 to $59.99. The swimmer's fortune must have improved dramatically as a result of her collaboration with TYR.
Simone also has her own apparel line with PWRFWD, on which the sportswoman sells custom-made items. Some of her best selling items, along with their prices, are:
- Simone T-Shirt - $24.99
- Dream Big Women's T-Shirt - $34.49
- Simone Hoodie - $34.99
- Simone Onesie - $24.99
- Simone Long Sleeve T-Shirt - $39.49
- Dream Big Crew Neck - $53.49
Simone Manuel's net worth must have increased significantly with each transaction, given her massive following. The Olympic Swimmer is worth $3 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Even though Simone has built a solid reputation in her short career, she still has a long way to go. Nevertheless, she may create a more prominent name for herself in the industry and surpass her present net worth in the future.
In A Relationship With Long Term Boyfriend Denzel Franklin
On March 22, 2017, Simone posted a lovely picture of her boyfriend, Denzel Franklin, with his arms around her on her Instagram. Although it is not precisely known when the couple met, there are speculations that the pair had begun dating a while before that. It is rumored that the couple met at their time at Stanford.
Simone Manuel and boyfriend Denzel Franklin have been dating for a long time now. Image Source: Simone Manuel Instagram.
Simone Manuel's boyfriend, a project engineer, appears to be a reserved individual who prefers to keep his life secret. Because Denzel has a private Instagram account, there isn't much to say about him. However, Simone's lover does seem to be supportive of his girlfriend. Franklin even has the link to her shop on his bio.
On the other hand, Simone constantly shares adorable photos of her boyfriend with sweet and romantic captions. For the time being, the lovesick couple appears to be having a fantastic time going on dates and spending time together.
Let's hope that the couple's success continues to grow in the future.
Trivia And Facts
- Simone likes listening to happy and upbeat music while working out.
- If not swimming, Manuel would have pursued a career in singing or dancing.
- Cooking is a hobby of her as it relaxes her.
