Penny Lee Dean is an American long distance swimmer who began her career with her swim across frigid San Francisco bay at age 10.
Wanting to teach at a University, she finished the work for a Doctor of Education, at the United States Sports Academy at Daphne, Alabama, in 1996.
The record stood for both men and women until September 1995, when it was lowered to 7:17 by Chad Hundeby, whom Dean coached.
[citation needed] Dean was forced to give up competition in the early 1980s when her doctors urged her to stop all exercise as years of swimming had taken its toll on her body.
She taught as a professor of physical education and the women's swimming and water polo coach at Pomona College for over 25 years.