Passion or Profession: Swimmer

Period: 1967–

Nesty was born in Trinidad and Tobago and immigrated to Suriname with his family as a child. At the age of 16, he represented Suriname at the 1984 Olympic Games, placing 21st in the 100-meter butterfly. Four years later, at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Nesty won the gold medal (Suriname’s first Olympic medal), making him a national hero. Roughly 20,000 Surinamers welcomed Nesty at the airport when he returned from the Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 1992 Games. Since retiring from competition, Nesty has coached at the University of Florida.