Misty May life and biography

Misty May (also known as: Misty May-Treanor) born July 30, 1977 in Los Angeles, California, United States is an American Olympic athlete.


In 2004 Misty May combined with Kerri Walsh to become the first Americans to win Olympic gold in beach volleyball. They are scheduled to return to the Summer Games in 2008, in Beijing, China. May, who also competed in the 2000 Olympiad, holds the women's professional beach volleyball record for most tournament wins and became the first woman to win 100 tourneys in the sport.

Born to Sports-oriented Family

May was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Robert "Butch" May, played on the 1968 U.S. Olympic volleyball team. Her late mother, Barbara, played tennis at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); her cousin, Taylor Dent, played Olympic tennis at the 2004 Summer Games. Even her babysitter had a sports background: Karch Kiraly, who won three gold medals in Olympic and beach volleyball.

As a senior at California State University, Long Beach, May led the 49ers to an undefeated season and the 1998 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title. One week before she graduated in 1999, May's mother died of cancer. She honors her mother--and her grandmother, who died one day after her Newport Harbor High School graduation in Costa Mesa--with tattoos.

At the 2000 Olympics in Australia, May, who by then had earned the nickname, "Turtle," and former partner Holly McPeak finished fifth. May teamed with Walsh for the pro tour beginning in 2001, and in 2003 and 2004 they went on a 90-match winning streak. They cashed in on their success with an appearance in a Super Bowl television advertisement in February of 2004. In a 30-second spot that ran during Super Bowl XXXVIII between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, the two played on a snowy beach, identified only by their first names. They shot fingers to decide who had to plunge into chilling waters for the ball. "It was fun because it's something we normally wouldn't do," May said as quoted on the NBCOlympics.com Web site. The ad also appeared in several magazines.

Won Olympic Gold in Athens

In 2004, the same year she married Florida Marlins catcher Matt Treanor, May and Walsh dominated their sport at the Olympics at Athens, Greece. Going seven matches in the competition without losing a set, the pair clinched their golds by defeating Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil, 21-17, 21-11. At their victory moment, May ran to embrace Walsh and both fell backwards into the sand. "I didn't care if I broke her knees because she has a lot of time to rest," May said, according to the Associated Press. She also spread some of her mother's ashes on the court.

In 2007, May and Walsh became the first team of either gender to win three straight world titles since the Fedération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) began hosting the event in 1997. In May of 2007, May earned her 73rd title, breaking McPeak's record. By year's end, she had 89 victories and $1.6 million in earnings. May and Walsh were also named the AVP Tour's team of the year from 2003 through 2007. In 2008, right before the start of the Olympics, May and Walsh won their 17th consecutive tournament and 96th straight match, both records.

When not training, May is the assistant coach at Irvine Valley Junior College in Irvine, California. She splits her time between Long Beach, California, and Coral Springs, Florida. She also enjoys playing with her boxer dogs, Gruden and Boogie.

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