Gillian Akiko THOMSON

Akiko Thomson was a legendary Filipino swimmer although she was born to an American father and a Japanese mother. Born in Washington, DC, her family moved to Manila when she was young when her father became the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.

Thomson began swimming at age six, and competed in three Olympics for the Philippines. She also won seven gold medals at the 1987 and 1991 Southeast Asian Games. Thomson attended U Cal Berkeley, graduating with a degree in anthropology, but then earned an MBA at the Ateneo de Manila University. She later became a television host and journalist with Probe Productions at ABS-CBN. Thomson was a secretary-general of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) and served as the president of the Philippine Olympians Association.