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Liz Merrifield Filter is proving you can have it all.  A wife and mother to two young children, she has turned her love of the sport into a golden opportunity.  At age 13 Liz was convinced to take up sailing by a friend who didn’t want to take lessons alone.  The friend quit sailing after two weeks, but not Liz.  She attended Tulane University, where she earned ICSA All-American honors as a crew three times, graduating in 1983 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. 

She spent 14 years in the medical sales field and married Henry Filter of whom she says “Not only did I marry my best friend, I married someone who understands my love of sailing…because he shares the same passion.”  And that he certainly does, having been ranked on the US Sailing Team in the Laser class, as well as twice representing the USA at the Pan American Games in the Snipe.

Although sailing is a huge part of Liz’s life, she had second thoughts about her Olympic goals when, in the second year of her Olympic campaign with Carol Cronin, both her mother and mother-in-law were diagnosed with cancer.  “It was a shock to me and made my journey seem not so important. However, they both encouraged me to continue and truly inspired me.  At that time, I wanted to honor their strength and courage, so I announced that I would not cut my hair until this campaign was over.  After the Summer Games, I will cut and donate it to "Locks of Love" the foundation that provides wigs for children with cancer.”

Liz has a genuine, humorous approach to life that readily comes across when talking with her:  She notes “laughing with her husband and children” as a primary interest outside of sailing, and she has said that she doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary for training “unless washing my bathroom floors and cleaning my oven counts!” 

And although she claims to be difficult to surprise, the best friend who has supported her Olympic goals pulled a fast one at the Olympic Team Trials.  Henry had said he would not attend the Trials so that Liz wouldn’t be distracted.  After nine days of racing, when Liz and her teammates crossed the finish line in race 15 with their trip to Athens secured, Liz saw Henry on a nearby powerboat.  “My heart almost burst right there,” she said.

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