In early 2017, CW Therapy announced our first professional athlete sponsorship.  We are proud to support Ali DeLoof, professional swimmer and two-time USA Swimming National Team member.  She earned two degrees from the University of Michigan, a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2016, and a master's degree in elementary education in the summer of 2018.

Ali concluded her stellar collegiate career at the 2016 US Olympic Trials with a 4th place finish in the 100-meter backstroke.  As a rookie in the professional ranks, Ali made some pretty big waves in December at the 2016 Short Course World Championships.  She took home 5 medals, including a Gold Medal for her part in the World Record breaking 200-meter Medley Relay team, where she swam the fastest 50-meter backstroke leg in American history.

In three appearances on the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series circuit, she collected three wins in her signature 100-meter backstroke event.  At the US National Championships, she finished 4th in the 100-meter backstroke to earn her second consecutive spot on the USA Swimming National Team.  She finished her first professional season in style, representing Team USA at the World University Games, held in Taipei, Taiwan.  There, she took home the Gold Medal in the 50-meter backstroke.

While student teaching as a part of her master's degree program, Ali found a way to keep training at a high level so that she could compete in several of the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series events.  She continued to show that she's one of the fastest 100-meter backstroke swimmers in the country.  Ali also placed second in two renditions of the TYR Swim Series knockout 50-meter backstroke competitions.  Her 2018 season culminated at US National Championships, where she made the finals of the women’s 100-meter backstroke for the fifth year in a row.

Having finally completed graduate school, Ali turned her focus back onto professional swimming full time. In September of 2018, she was signed by Fike Swim Products to their team of ambassadors (https://fikeswim.com/pages/ali-deloof). Shortly thereafter, Ali made the decision to join the Team Elite Swim Club of Santa Clara, CA.  There, she joined a team of fellow World and American Record holders in their quest to compete for spots on Team USA’s 2020 Olympic team (https://swimswam.com/team-elite-adds-another-star-ali-deloof/).

Ali’s 2019 Was highlighted by continued success at TYR Pro Swim Series events, with high finishes in backstroke competitions at meets in Knoxville, Tennessee in January, and in Clovis, California in June. In July, she once again represented Team USA, this time at the 2019 Pan-Am Games, held in Lima, Peru, where Ali and Team USA dominated the medal table. At the end of summer, Ali and her younger sisters Gabby and Catie, joined forces as teammates when they were drafted by the New York Breakers. The Breakers were one of four professional swim teams that comprised the initial season of the International Swimming League (ISL). The DeLoof sisters traveled with the Breakers to compete at meets in Budapest, Hungary and back stateside, in College Park, Maryland.

After a brief offseason, Ali got right back to swim competition in early November at the TYR Pro Swim Series, held in Greensboro, North Carolina. There, she showed new levels of endurance development with a podium finish in the 200-yard backstroke. Just a couple weeks later, Ali and her sisters continued their early season swimming in Atlanta at the 2019 USA Swimming US Open, before finally returning to the home training base in San Diego.

Ali relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee in 2020 to join and train with a superb professional swimming group.  From there, her swimming career took her to Budapest, Hungary for the 2020 edition of the International Swimming League, where she competed for the LA Current.  At this year’s Olympic Trials, Ali was a top 10 finisher in her primary event, the 100-meter backstroke, and a semifinalist in the 200-meter backstroke.  Although she wasn’t able to qualify for the US Olympic Team, she proudly cheered on her sisters Gabby and Catie when she wasn’t competing.  While Gabby narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 4x200 meter freestyle relay, Catie was able to qualify for the US Olympic Team as a member of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.

CW Therapy proudly joined Ali and her family as they cheered Catie on in Tokyo.  Catie’s efforts helped Team USA to earn a bronze medal in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay! Meanwhile, Ali continued to train hard, leading to an excellent series of performances for the DC Trident team in the 3rd season of the ISL.  Competing at several stops in Europe, Ali’s season was highlighted by her September competition in Naples, Italy, where she swam the second fastest short course 100 meter backstroke race in American history!

The 2022 International Swimming League Season was abruptly cancelled, due to the war in Ukraine. Ali moved back to Michigan, and while considering options for her swimming future, began coaching swimming for the first time with the Grosse Pointe Aquatics Club. She’s finding ways to continue fostering her ability to educate young people, both in and out of the pool.

Ali DeLoof, we are so proud to have you represent CW Therapy!