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Perhaps because of her natural talent or because of her dreams, perhaps because of her parents or because it was her niche in the large family, Wendy’s dedication to swimming was apparent early on- and it paid off.
Widely recognized for her world record-setting accomplishments in the pool, Wendy Lansbach’s dedication was evident from an early age as she trained in a cold Wisconsin lake coached only by her parents. Her father rowed a boat beside her, constantly offering words of support and encouragement into her wet ears. On the weekends, she and her family traveled across the state attending as many swim meets as she could qualify for. Her siblings shared her interest and they competed together (her younger sister, Laurie Lansbach Lehner, would go on to win three Pan-Am swimming championships). By her teenage years, Wendy’s swimming accomplishments garnered her fame in her home state and beyond, and in 1969 Wendy raced against the world’s best young swimmers in West Germany, offering her a rare glimpse of life and competition behind the Iron Curtain.
In 1972, Wendy was one step closer to achieving her goals of Olympic success. Title IX, a U.S. amendment on education, mandated gender equality in collegiate sports and enabled women athletes to compete for athletic scholarships. For Wendy, the timing was perfect, and she became one of the earliest recipients of a female collegiate athletic scholarship.
Under the guidance of Monmouth College’s head swimming coach, Bill Palmer, and assistant coach Bernie Boglioli, Jr. (Wendy’s future husband), her collegiate swimming career thrived. By 1976, at the age of twenty-one, some doubted Wendy’s ability to qualify for the 1976 Olympic Team in a field of young and upcoming swimmers. At the Belmont Plaza in Long Beach, CA, Wendy swam in what was her most significant competition up to that time: the Olympic Time Trials. Despite being the underdog, Wendy’s ever-present determination trumped all doubt as she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team under the hot sun of Southern California. She was just strokes away from her lifelong dream.
Alongside the likes of gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci and swimming giant John Naber, Wendy Boglioli appeared in Montréal ready for her events to begin. Wendy, dubbed the ‘old lady’ of the U.S. Women’s Swim Team, qualified for two events: the 100meter Butterfly and the American 4x100 freestyle relay team. Amidst controversy and rumors of East German doping, she and her teammates attempted to their competition and swim their races, but it was no easy task. Wendy captured an important bronze in the 100m Butterfly, defeated only by two East Germans (Kornelia Ender and Andrea Pollack). Yet, despite compiling one of the best teams of all time, the American women swimmers were no match for their East German counterparts, who swept each individual gold medal awarded save for one in addition to numerous world records in an unprecedented display.
In a stunning turn of events, Wendy and her three teammates (Kim Peyton, Jill Sterkel and Shirley Babashoff) raced to the only American gold in the culminating event of the swimming events, the 4x100m Freestyle Relay. Moreover, they set a World Record in the process. It was hailed as a spectacular victory in an otherwise disappointing Olympics for the Americans, and to this day it is referred to as one of the greatest upsets in Olympic swimming history (Swimming World Magazine, April 2005).
It would take another fifteen years and the fall of the Berlin Wall to discover the East German doping scandal (please see Wendy’s links and reference list for informative sources). Despite this, Wendy’s personal Bronze medal and her World Record Gold medal now stand as testament to her success amidst adversity. Shortly after the games, Wendy’s hometown (Land O’Lakes, WI) erected a plaque in her honor and permanently changed the street name on which her parents lived to ‘1976 Olympic Avenue’. Similarly, Wendy was honored in her new home state of New Jersey through various awards, and atop Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs, CO, one can see her name etched on a plaque along with other noteworthy American athletes. Wendy continued to train for the 1980 Olympic Games following Montreal. She was chosen alongside her peers to appear before and meet with President Carter in Washington D.C. to encourage our presence and a chance to compete in the Moscow Olympic Games. However, due to global and political concerns, the President chose to boycott the Moscow Games.
Retiring at the age of twenty-five, Wendy and her husband Bernie went on to coach the Yale University Swim Team before turning her attention to public speaking. Always the athlete, Wendy continues to stay involved in active sport and has subsequently competed nationally as a cyclist for a brief period of time. She has spoken before many groups of athletes and continues to serve as an inspiration for all who have the opportunity to meet her. In 2004, the university that offered Wendy the opportunity to compete for them honored her with a Distinguished Alumna Award as an exemplary leader (Monmouth University, NJ).
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