Photo credit: Natalie Hinds Official Website and Instagram

What happened: Natalie Hinds has become one of the most accomplished athletes Midland has ever produced, rising from Midland High and COM Aquatics to the Olympic podium with Team USA. The Midland native earned a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics as part of the United States’ 4×100-meter freestyle relay team, completing a comeback story that nearly ended after she stepped away from competitive swimming earlier in her career.

Hinds has also become one of the most influential Black swimmers in modern American swimming history while remaining connected to Midland and the community that helped shape her career.

The big picture: Hinds was born on Dec. 7, 1993, and grew up in Midland, where she spent more than 16 years swimming with COM Aquatics, beginning on the Splash Team as a young swimmer. At Midland High, Hinds quickly developed into one of the top swimmers in Texas.

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In 2011, she earned UIL Class 5A Female Swimmer of the Meet honors while winning state championships and helping elevate Midland High’s swim program into one of the strongest in West Texas.

Throughout her career, Hinds has continued to emphasize how important Midland and COM Aquatics were to her development, both as an athlete and as a person. In a public “Dear Midland” message, Hinds described the city as “my safe haven, my launching pad and, most importantly, my hometown.”

Go deeper: Hinds became one of the most decorated swimmers in University of Florida history during her collegiate career. One of the most historically significant moments of her career came in 2015, when Hinds, alongside Simone Manuel and Lia Neal, became part of the first trio of Black swimmers to sweep an NCAA championship podium. Her accomplishments included:

  • 20-time All-American
  • SEC Freshman of the Year
  • NCAA medalist
  • School record holder

Her career path became even more remarkable after the 2016 Olympic Trials. After failing to qualify for the Olympic team, Hinds stepped away from swimming entirely and moved into professional life, working in app development with Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta. But after watching the 2018 U.S. Championships, she decided to return to elite competition. That comeback changed everything.

At age 27, Hinds made her first Olympic team and helped Team USA capture bronze in Tokyo, becoming one of the few Olympic medalists ever produced by Midland. Following her return, Hinds also won national titles, earned world championship medals, and competed internationally before helping Team USA win bronze in Tokyo.

What’s next: Hinds expanded into entrepreneurship, founding Loominary Design, while continuing public speaking and advocacy work connected to swimming and representation in sports. For Midland, Hinds’ rise from COM Aquatics and Midland High to the Olympic podium remains one of the city’s greatest athletic success stories.