Elaine Calip has been involved with the sport of swimming for the past 30 years as an athlete, coach and fundraising professional.

Her competitive experience started at Upper Arlington Swim Club (Ohio) and transitioned to the University of Texas where she was a three-time team captain. Her post-graduate experience led her to collegiate coaching at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. It was there that she actively participated with and coached the local U.S. Masters team.

Calip’s passion for fundraising is rooted in her collegiate coaching experience when the team experienced the devastating news that all scholarship funding would be cut from the budget. This moment influenced her career pivot from coaching to full-time fundraising professional.

With stops at Texas, California and now USA Swimming, she has actively participated in multi-billion-dollar comprehensive campaigns, led regional teams to strategic fundraising initiatives and has served on various committees and mentorship programs within the sports industry.

Swimming has always been a family affair for Calip as her father, Dr. Jerry Ferritto, Jr., served as a USA Swimming Official for more than 20 years. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, Ian, and two daughters, McKinley and Dashell.