During the decades of the 1960s and '70s Kim Peyton (January 26, 1957 – December 13, 1986) set a standard for women’s swimmers in Oregon, first as a record-setting junior swimmer and then an Olympic Gold Medalist. Born in 1957, Peyton grew up in a family swimming environment that included two sisters, Debra and Kelly, who would eventually win state titles in high school. Kelly continued to the University of Oregon team.
Kim began swimming for the Hood River Swim Club. Her family moved to Portland where she joined the David Douglas club. She set three national records as a 9- and 10-year-old. When she reached high school, she joined a David Douglas program that was dominating OSAA competition, winning 14 consecutive state titles. As a Scot, Kim was undefeated in four years of high school competition, she won 14 state titles in freestyle events or as part of a freestyle or medley relay team. Kim Peyton established several state record times starting with the 200 freestyle in 1972, her freshman year. Peyton’s winning time, 1:53.16, lowered the state record by nearly three seconds. Her senior year, Kim lowered the record to 1:50.25, which stood until 1994.
Peyton, advanced to the international level in 1971 at the Pan American Games in Cali, Columbia. She won a gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle at age 14. She won four more gold medals – the 100- and 200-freestyle and 4×100 freestyle and medley relays, at the 1975 Pan Am Games in Mexico City.
Peyton was on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team as an alternate for the 4 x 100 relay team and she won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Summer Games. That relay set a World Record. She met her future husband, Olympic water polo team member Drew McDonald, while swimming for Stanford University. Peyton McDonald passed away when she was just 29 years old due to an inoperable brain tumor.
Kim Peyton-McDonald was honored twice at the 1975 Oregon Banquet of Champions, winning the Johnny Carpenter prep award and the Hayward Award as athlete of the year. She is also a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Her image is on a mural at the David Douglas Aquatics Center.