Hayley Palmer: Mormon Athlete

Hayley Gloria Palmer is an Olympic swimmer who competed in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay team in both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics for New Zealand. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Palmer was born on May 8, 1989, in Cheltenham, England, but her parents returned to their native New Zealand when she was a baby and then returned to England when Palmer was three years old. She began swimming in England. She was a member of the Gloucester City Swimming Club during her teen years and holds every school record in swimming at her high school.

She returned to New Zealand in 2007 and made her national debut at the 2008 Short Course Worlds in Manchester. She swims for North Shore Swimming in Auckland. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, she won two bronze medals for the 50 meter freestyle and the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.

Palmer holds these New Zealand swim records:

Women’s Long Course 50m Freestyle (25.01) Women’s Long Course 100m Freestyle (53.91) Women’s Short Course 50m Freestyle (24.39) Women’s Short Course 100m Freestyle (53.57) Women’s Short Course 100m Individual Medley (1:01.24)