Celebrating the legacy of Olympian Mike Troy ’58

July 31st, 2024

Celebrating the legacy of Olympian Mike Troy ’58

With the 2024 Paris Olympics in full swing, let’s dive into the inspiring story of Mike Troy, a true Scecina Memorial High School legend! A 1958 graduate and Our Lady of Lourdes alum, Mike made waves as a gold medalist swimmer for the U.S. in the 1960 Olympics. He captured his first gold medal as part of the U.S. team in the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay and a second gold in the men’s 200-meter butterfly.

Indianapolis Star writer Gregg Doyle recently paid tribute to Troy’s accomplishments. You can read Doyle’s full story here (requires a subscription).

Scecina’s chaplain, Father Jim Farrell, a cousin of Mike Troy, also shared vivid memories from his childhood. Fr. Farrell recalls waiting in the basement with Mike for the call confirming Mike’s place in the Olympics, a memory also highlighted in Doyle’s story.

Mike was an Indiana University grad and served as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam. Mike went on to become a real estate agent and swimming coach, mentoring future stars like Mike Stamm. Troy also took on leadership roles, serving as Chairman of the International Section of the Olympic Committee, Vice President of the American Swimming Coaches Association, and National Director of the USA Paralympic Swimming Team. At the time of his death on August 3, 2019, he co-owned the Gold Medal Swim School in Chandler, Arizona, with two-time Olympic coach Mike Walker.

We take immense pride in the countless Scecina graduates who, like Mike Troy, live by Father Thomas Scecina’s motto to “give that little extra.” We hope his story fuels the dreams of future generations and inspires Scecina student-athletes to chase their own Olympic-sized goals.

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