Former Valparaiso High School and University of Arkansas swimmer Dr. Kattie Allen has exemplified that athletes can have great success out of the field of competition.
Allen, the former Kattie Shepherd, is a dermatologist in Bentonville, Ark., and was known as much for her academics as her athleticism.
She was an all-state swimmer at Valparaiso, graduating in 1999. She was an All-American swimmer at the University of Arkansas and graduated cum laude in 2003 with a degree in microbiology. She graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine and did her residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Allen is a dermatologist for Premier Dermatology in Bentonville, Ark.
She and her husband Jonathan are also raising a family and have their own relay team with four children. They have a 2 1/2-year-old son, Brice, and 1-year-old triplets named Elizabeth, Briana and Kaelyn.
"It keeps you busy, but I love it," Allen said. "A triple stroller, but soon, they will all be walking — it is a lot of time management, something I guess learned while competing."
Dr. Allen is a surgeon and deals with skin cancer. She said a lot of her time is also spent educating people about skin cancers.
"A lot are in their 20s and 30s, and it is telling them to cover themselves, use sunscreen," Allen said. "I tell people to wash their skin thoroughly and take care of it."
"She said high school was "a fun ride" as she was all-state in 1999 in the 100-yard freestyle. The Vikings' 400 freestyle relay also garnered all-state honors. The 200 medley relay team was honorable mention.
"I remember the sectional and the rivalry with Chesterton, the screaming fans," Allen said. "It was a great time."
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