Kathy Heddy

Kathryn Jean Heddy (born February 4, 1958), also known by her married name Kathy Drum, is an American former competition swimming world champion and four-time Pan American champion.

Heddy grew up in Summit, New Jersey, where she graduated early from Summit High School in January 1976, allowing her to focus on her training rather than completing her studies in the Spring of that year. Some of her training was performed with the Central Jersey Aquatic Club under Coach Bill Palmer.

Heddy represented the United States at the 1973 World Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. On September 4, she won the bronze medal in the 200-metre individual medley. On September 8, Heddy was part of the silver medal winning 4 × 100 m freestyle relay team. On September 9, she finished 7th in the 100 m freestyle.

Heddy competed in the 1975 World Championships in Cali, Colombia. On July 22, she won the gold medal in the 200 m medley with a championship record time, 2:19.80, defeating the East German swimmers, Ulrike Tauber and Angela Franke. On July 24–25, Heddy won bronze medals in the 400 m medley and 400 m freestyle respectively. On July 26, she was part of the silver medal winning 4 × 100 m freestyle relay team. The American team had taken the world record from the east Germans the previous year and swam 1.25 seconds below that mark in the final, but still lost to the east Germans who took back the world record and won the gold. On July 27, Heddy finished fourth in the 100 m freestyle, 1/100 s from the bronze. She received four medals in total, when summing up her 1975 world championship.

Heddy also participated at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, where she finished fifth in the 400-metre freestyle on July 20.