Missy Franklin to Fly With US Air Force Thunderbirds

Missy Franklin to Fly With US Air Force Thunderbirds

Olympic swimming champion Missy Franklin is taking to the air.

The five-time Olympic medalist was invited to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on Thursday as part of the academy’s graduation celebration, according to the Denver Gazette.

The flight will take off from Peterson Space Force Base. Previous passengers included skier Mikaela Shiffrin and speedskater Apolo Ohno.

Franklin won Olympic gold in the 100 and 200 backstroke, the 800 free relay and the 400 medley relay in London in 2012 and earned five total medals over two Olympics, also medaling in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Missy Franklin won six gold at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona, including sweeping the 100 and 200 backstroke again, and winning the 200 free, one of the top performances in the history of the World Championships.

In college, Missy Franklin led Cal to the NCAA championship led by her still-NCAA record 1:39 in the 200-yard freestyle

She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2023.

The U.S. Air Force started flights with Olympians in 2019 to showcase the relationship between the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and the U.S. Air Force Academy, according to the Gazette.