Missy Franklin: US Olympic swimmer you may recognise from Pretty Little Liars

Swimmer Missy Franklin poses for a portrait at the 2016 Team USA Media Summit at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 7, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California (Getty Images)

Missy ‘the Missile’ Franklin is one of the fastest swimmers on the planet. Aged 21, Franklin has already taken home four Olympic gold medals and one bronze for the US. She also holds one world record and two American records.

She was the one that got away

Franklin was born in California to Canadian parents. After turning 12 and with the Bejing trials one year off, she was asked which country she wanted to compete for. Her parents thought it might be best for their daughter to get away from the pressures of competitive swimming in the US and swim in the Olympics for Canada instead.

However, she chose to compete for her home country and went on to qualify for the 2008 trials, placing 38th in the 100 freestyle at 13, before making her swimming debut in London.

She has had the same coach since she was seven

At 17, Franklin was offered the chance to move to California and focus on training for the Olympics in a full-time capacity. Instead, she stayed at home in Colorado with her family and with Todd Schmitz, the same coach she has had since she was seven. She also continued to swim in her club and high school seasons.

She attributes part of her success to her religion

Franklin has been vocal about her Christian faith and the part she says it has played in her career.

You may recognise her from TV

In March 2013 she played herself in an episode of the US teen drama Pretty Little Liars. She also filmed a cameo in Shawn Levy’s The Internship, although this scene was later cut due to the film running over by almost 90 minutes.

She has been featured in a number of sporting documentaries including Touch the Wall and The Current: Explore the Healing Powers of the Ocean.