Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Ericka Lorenz was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2021 for her integral role on two medal-winning Olympic women’s water polo teams.
At 19 years old, OLS Lorenz became the youngest member of the United States National Team and competed in the 2000 Olympics; the first to include women’s water polo. This groundbreaking team took home a silver medal in Sydney, Australia.
During that time, she took time off from her studies at the University of California, Berkeley. When she returned, she made 81 goals in her first two seasons, receiving the titles ‘First Team All-American’ as a freshman and ‘Second Team All-American’ honors as a sophomore.
OLS Lorenz continued being a member of Team USA as they competed in multiple FINA World Cups and Championships. In 2003, she returned full-time to the US National Team, earning a gold medal in the 10th annual FINA World Championships in Spain which qualified her for a second Olympic game. That next year, the team received the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
OLS Lorenz is a historical part of women’s water polo, domestically and internationally.
The LACoFD is proud to have such an influential trailblazer as part of our team!
Click here to watch OLS Lorenz’s 2021 Hall of Fame inductee video.
