She represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where she won a gold medal swimming the backstroke leg of the women's 4×100-meter medley relay.

[5] She transferred to Stanford University prior to the 1992 Olympics where she swam for Hall of Fame Coach Richard Quick.

[6] Lea broke the 100m backstroke American record at 100.82 at the Barcelona Olympic Games leading off the World-Record earning 1992 medley relay.

Lea later won the gold at the World Championships in Perth, Australia in 1998 bettering her own American Record to 100.77.

[7] Matt Grevers, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and backstroke specialist was one of her more outstanding swimmers during her time at Lake Forest High.