Twelve-time Olympic swimming medalist Natalie Coughlin knew she "didn't have the personality" to go into coaching when her competitive career eventually came to an end. Although her career isn’t officially over yet — Coughlin raced as recently as last fall — her focus has shifted to areas outside the pool.
Among them, motherhood (her daughter Zennie was born in 2018) and the culinary arts — particularly, the business of wine. She picked up a love of food while traveling to compete — Coughlin distinctly remembers the ceviche-like dish Poisson Cru in French Polynesia — and was always a fan of wine, so when her winemaker friend of 15 years pitched her on starting a label, Coughlin's answer was an immediate yes.