• Three-Time World  Champion
• 11-Time NCAA Champion
• 27- Time NCAA All American
• Olympic silver medal in 2004 in 400m FR
• First female African American swimmer to make  US Olympic team and win a medal
• First African American to break a world record in swimming
• First African American female to hold American Records
• Former American record holder in 50y freestyle and 100y freestyle
• Two-Time Pan American Game Gold Medalist
• Three medals at World Championships 
• Four gold medals at 2005 World University Games

Maritza was featured in "Parting the Water" with Cullen Jones, a movie about challenges Latino and Black swimmers face. She works with Nike to help get inner-city kids into the pool and learning to swim, spreading her passion for the sport.

Background in swimming: Actually, I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was about seven years old, and my doctor recommended to either, you know, get into swimming or gymnastics, and my parents decided to go ahead and try me out on the little summer league swim team. This was back in Puerto Rico, where I was born. You know, it just kind of all started from there, and I ended up liking it a lot more than I ever expected. So, you know, I kind of stuck with it and just throughout the years I got better and better.