Learn firsthand how some of the collegiate athletes on the 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team have grown and developed through our country's collegiate sports system.
To provide an athlete testimonial for your college/university, please email ParalympiansMadeHere@usopc.org.
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose Harvard because of its unrivaled academics, progressive team atmosphere and supportive coaching staff. Additionally, Harvard’s ability to support my unique learning needs through the Accessible Education Office was unparalleled. Being a student-athlete at Harvard has been particularly helpful in learning time management skills."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Collegiate competition taught me valuable lessons about racing at a higher level. Having supportive teammates and coaching staff has allowed me to preserve a healthy mentality through competition, never feeling too high or too low about outcomes in the pool."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"Attending a college like Harvard creates opportunities that could not occur at any other school. The diversity of the student population allows for exposure to a variety of opinions and ideas which makes for a more thorough understanding of people, thoughts and ideas that I can carry forward into my life beyond college."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana for three reasons - a great coach, potential teammates and the academic school. It felt great being a student-athlete at a Division I school."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Being a collegiate athlete was the opportunity I needed to take the next step towards improving my skills to make Team USA."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"By attending college, I was able to learn life skills needed to survive and function in the real world."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I grew up only 15 minutes away from UW-Whitewater and was able to attend a wheelchair basketball camp that is held there every summer. I instantly fell in love with the sport and being able to compete against other athletes with similar physical abilities. Recruitment was made very easy and upon joining, I knew that I was going to be able to attend a school that was known for my major (Business-HR), had an environment that wasn't too big for a farm kid like myself and would push me on and off the court."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"UW-Whitewater has always drawn players from around the country and world who want to better themselves. Competing against the best athletes day in and day out from a young age was instrumental in allowing me to improve my game and make the most of myself."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"My situation is unique in that I was able to get an internship while in school which allowed me to obtain a job on campus right after graduation. The opportunity has served as a springboard for me to grow as a professional and move up the higher education ladder while still being able to pursue my Paralympic goals and dreams."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I remember the first time I arrived on Loyola’s campus, I felt at home immediately. Ahead of committing to the school, I was able to sit in on one of the classes where I felt so engaged and excited to learn the materials. The entire department worked with me, especially during the Rio Paralympic Games, to ensure that I kept up with classes and wasn't overwhelmed when I returned a month late into the semester. I will be forever grateful for their hard work and guidance. As a student-athlete with a disability that competed in a Division I program, I loved that I never felt different or lesser."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Swimming collegiately helped me tremendously in preparing me to compete for Team USA. One of the things I loved and cherished the most about college swimming was the team aspect. I believe the team-oriented approach that I learned in college swimming prepared me well for the Paralympic Games and other national team trips because competing for Team USA means coming together as one. I learned from Loyola that you are so much stronger when you come together to achieve a common goal, and I always take that lesson with me when competing for Team USA."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
I’ve learned so much about life in being a student-athlete at Loyola. I always say that competing as a Division I swimmer while being enrolled as a full-time student, along with competing simultaneously on the national team, was the hardest, yet most rewarding thing that I have ever done. The work ethic I learned from those four years will carry me through in anything I do in my life. One of my life's greatest accomplishments will probably go down as graduating on time with my degree and achieving the successes I had at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. It was a hard journey, but I am immensely proud of myself and I know that I can pursue anything in life because of what I went through and achieved in those four years."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"With an amazing history of winning on and off the track, Texas-Arlington was very close to home for me. Being only 15-20 minutes up the road from my high school, I wanted to be in an environment that felt like home. I had a team and school that I could call my family. From the other student-athletes to the coaching staff and teachers, every single individual made me feel comfortable in my own skin."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Being able to compete at the collegiate level gave me the opportunity to stretch myself beyond imagination. It gave me the chance to compete with amazing ‘able-bodied’ athletes and allowed me to never give myself limits. This prepared me mentally to compete on many different stages."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"College gives you a different outlook on life! They say experience is the best teacher so you definitely have to dive in head first. College allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and prepare me more for this thing we call life! There are so many different people, clubs and organizations that you can meet and join that can help you in the long run. Having the opportunity to expand my education as well as gaining life-long friends was a major part of my college experience."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"In 2012, my mom wanted me to see a local college just to get a feel of different schools because I didn’t really know what college I wanted to attend. The only thing that I really cared about was the school having a track program and the major I was trying to pursuit. So, we went to Concord University during my spring break, and the current admissions counselor (who is now the assistant dean of students) gave me the tour. The last stop of the tour was the athletic building and it just so happened that my college head, coach Mike Cox, came down. We introduced ourselves, and I told him I was interested in running track collegiately. However, when he left, the admissions counselor was telling us where the team traveled, and other things about the team including that he sees Coach Cox regularly running and doing workouts with the team. That sealed my decision as it showed me the Coach Cox would never make me do anything that he wouldn’t do himself.
One thing about Concord is that it is a small school in West Virginia with only about 3,000 students. I loved it there for many reasons - it was small, so we got to know our professors and they got to know us; it was a family atmosphere. But one thing that I loved the most about the team, back when I was completing my undergraduate degree and now as a coach and graduate student, is that we never considered ourselves a team instead we considered everyone as family."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"The biggest thing that helped me prepare was working on my sprinters background. I train the same as I did in college with the only difference being the length of training. Also, I was taught true sprinter form in college. I have now been focused on relearning my sprinting form with slight adjustments with my blade."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"The biggest thing that I learned in college was being more versatile and being able to adjust to things as they come. I went to a high school that didn’t teach me about running form, speed endurance, blocks, etc. Back then, we practiced for 45 mins. When I got to college, I had to go back to step one in sprint technique while also being a long jumper. Because of this, I had to learn how to balance my sprint training and my jump training in order to achieve my best in both disciplines. This is one of the things that is helping me now. It first helped me when I lost my leg six months after I graduated college in 2018 and getting used to my ‘new normal. Currently the preparation is helping me since I have been training for the Paralympics. I am also a full-time graduate student at Concord University and working on my master’s degree in health promotion, and on the coaching staff for long jump and sprints."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose the University of Northern Iowa because it felt like a place where I could make a difference. My first meeting with my prospective coaches made me feel valued and taken seriously as both an athlete and as a student. They listened to my thoughts and concerns, and were honest with me. I most appreciate the willingness of my coaches to reach beyond their comfort zone. None of my coaches had ever coached an adaptive athlete before and they made it a priority to provide me a safe space where I could explore as well as push past my limitations as an adaptive athlete."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"My time as a college student helped prepare me for Team USA by the constant support and growth that my teammates and coaches fostered. Everyone had different goals, but we knew that every goal was valued and valid. It meant the world to me to know that my teammates would support me every step of the way."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"College pushed my boundaries of who I thought I was, as well as who I wanted to be. I had to learn to grow and adapt as I came into my own as a young adult. College introduced many unfamiliar life paths to me, and I am grateful to have been able to explore them with an open mind. Somewhere along the way I discovered how to let my passions lead me to new and unexpected places."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I always wanted to live in California with lots of sunshine. California State Northridge was on the top of my list. I also wanted to prove to myself I could compete as an amputee in Division I. The coaches were very welcoming and made me feel like I was at home. What I liked most about being a student-athlete was the relationships I built with my team, I felt like we were a family going to war!"
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Competing collegiately helped me prepare mentally for the amount of responsibility and accountability it takes to compete for Team USA. Being a student-athlete teaches you the skills of time management and mental toughness which are two things imperative to competing in the Paralympic Games. "
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"I learned many life lessons in college. Firstly, you have to have heart to compete at the highest level. Without heart, you will not sustain the amount of work, long hours and grind that it takes to be successful on and off the court. Secondly, you can go farther with a team than you can go alone. Being a team sport athlete forces you to work with all personality types, just like in the real world. Keeping a positive mindset and believing in the good in others is important to help lead everyone to success on a team. "
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I have a unique story. I started playing wheelchair basketball and racing in track and field at the age of four until about the age of 12. My last two years, I picked up wrestling in high school. After my senior year of wrestling, I was actually hoping to look at the possibility of wrestling for a university. The spring prior to my graduation, I received a message from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s wheelchair basketball coach Jim Glatch asking if I wanted to play wheelchair basketball at the collegiate level. I was not receiving any offers for wrestling and could not turn down the opportunity to be a student-athlete in college. The thing that I loved the most about being a student-athlete was the fact that I was able to be the first in my family to obtain a college degree while participating in a competitive sport atmosphere."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Competing against some of the best athletes in the country at the collegiate level prepared me to compete on Team USA as a lot of my competitors during my college career became my teammates. It was almost as if competing within the college ranks was training in and of itself as we continued to play against some of the best that the U.S. has to offer."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"Being a student-athlete made me a better player, person and leader on and off the court. I had to learn how to manage the full-time work load of a college student while also maintaining my practice, training and competition schedules. Being a student-athlete in college teaches you how to develop the values of responsibility, accountability and discipline. You have to be responsible for maintaining and achieving new heights in your studies and within your respected sport. You are accountable to your family, teammates, university and yourself as your actions (or lack of actions) effects everyone you have a connection with. Lastly, you must be disciplined to stay focused while attempting to obtain your ultimate goal even if that means making hard sacrifices."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose the University of Northern Iowa for many reasons: its proximity to my hometown, the size of the campus, and the caliber of its track and field program. My final decision to attend UNI however came after a campus visit with Coach Paulsen and Coach Wilson at the track. They valued my ability as an athlete and didn’t hesitate to bring me onto the team when I told them about my vision loss. In fact, they supported my attitude that I could overcome any obstacle and continue my success at the division I level.
Once I started college, I was thankful to be a student-athlete. I immediately had a new family of friends with similar interests. This was especially important because COVID-19 hit during my freshman year. Everything shut down and much of the year was lost, so having that group of friends from the team helped me stay driven and excited to return the next year."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Competing in track and field at the division I collegiate level as been great preparation for the Paralympic Games. The competition is fierce, and the pressure is intense. I have learned to rely on my routine before races to remain focused and to decrease my anxiety. The practices pushed me every day and taught me to develop a strict routine in order to have success."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"I just completed my first full year of college since my freshman year was cut short due to COVID-19. I already know, though, that going to college as a student-athlete is preparing me for the future. Every day I have to stay disciplined and organized in order to attend classes, complete assignments and tests, and perform at practice and meets. The experience has reinforced the fact that my drive and work ethic will make it possible to accomplish any dream I pursue."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I was blessed to be highly recruited out of high school to run at the Division I level for college and visit many different schools. When visiting Eastern Michigan University, meeting the team and coaches instantly felt like home. Both the team and coaches were very welcoming and it was easy to see the bond that the team had with one another. That was something that I wanted to be a part of and Eastern Michigan was the only school I visited that made me feel this way. What I liked most about being a student-athlete at Eastern Michigan University is that the coaches actually cared on a higher level than just your athletic ability. My coaches not only valued an athlete who worked hard on the track, but an athlete who worked hard academically. From my personal experience, I also felt that my coaches were invested in their athletes and helping whenever possible even when it did not pertain to athletics or academics."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Competing collegiately helped prepare me for competing on Team USA in many different ways. Running at a Division I school taught me a lot about mental toughness, understanding how to properly fuel my body from a nutritional aspect and also how to properly take care of myself from a recovery aspect to compete at a higher level. Competing collegiately also helped me to learn better discipline, patience, trust in my training process, how to become a better teammate and leader, and how to compete for something greater than myself. My entire collegiate running career was always me competing against non-Para athletes, so knowing that I had to compete against athletes while being born with Erb's Palsy taught me how to be competitive. I never was one to look at my birth defect as a disability or excuse. I always had the mentality to outwork my competitors and do what it took to compete at the Division I level."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"Going to college prepared me for the real world and what to expect. From my personal experience, I learned that it's not always what you know but who you know. Having a magnetic personality and being able to network with others will take you far. College also taught me that with hard work anything is possible. If you don't give up and persevere, you will reach your goals. On the other hand, if you don't work hard at something and you give up, you won't go far. Being able to participate in a sport while in college taught me better time management skills and better every day routines such as sleeping, eating and studying patterns which I believe will help me for life."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I first started competing at Saddleback Community College where I was able to experience the support from a coach and training that a school team can offer. Mark Wetmore, head coach at Saddleback College, was very supportive of my dreams of making the U.S. Paralympic team. I knew I wanted to move to another college with a similar experience. After being accepted into a university whose coaches came back letting me know that I was considered a liability in their eyes, my heart sank and I had to decide whether I was still going to chase my dreams. I decided to prove to myself and others that I’m more than a liability, I am capable of competing at an elite level! I trained tirelessly doing two-a-days by myself and a few days I would talk a couple buddies into working out with me. One day, I was having a hard time trying to figure life out and I reached into my closet under a stack full of clean shirts where I found an Azusa Pacific University track & field shirt. I had received it one summer at an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) camp volunteering where a fellow Azusa alumni gave me his training shirt before I left. I wore it to the gym and suddenly my Pandora radio station kept playing commercials for Azusa Pacific University (APU). Later that week, I was watching YouTube videos and stumbled across Bryan Clay training for the 2012 Olympic Trials at APU. It was during this time that I began being open to transferring to other schools so I could train with a team and grow as a student-athlete. I emailed a few other colleges, but when I emailed Kevin Reid at Azusa Pacific University I got an immediate response and an immediate appointment to meet him at the school. From our first encounter, I knew it was going to be a great fit! When I joined this team at APU, what I liked most was the family aspect. All of the coaches were very supportive and did a good job of creating a healthy environment to train and focus on and off the track. I was treated just like the other athletes, and as a disabled athlete that was important to me. I didn't want to be treated differently, I wanted to do all the same workouts and be pushed beyond my limits just like everyone else. The opportunity that was given to me by coaches Kevin Reid and Mike Barnett lead to much of the success I have had thus far in my career! The coaches didn't look at me as a liability but looked at me as an asset to the team providing work ethic despite my disability. They saw the opportunity to train me as a fun challenge and helped me reach my goals of making the Paralympic team."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Competing with the APU team on a weekly basis, where I went through the different training cycles as a student-athlete, taught me a lot about time management and focusing on goals. I was challenged mentally to push myself and beat my able-bodied training partners and competitors. I grew in mental fortitude and resilience. I developed a workhorse mentality telling myself I can do this with one foot and I can do more than them. I took on the role as the underdog and used it to drive my ambitions of making my first U.S. Paralympic team."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"The expectations imposed upon me for assignments impacted me the most. I found that my standards for my own work performance and that of others were much higher than what I was experiencing immediately after college. This allowed me to better evaluate who I would hire or let go. Preparing for finals and midterms taught me how to stay up late, wake up early and still find time to train. I have already experienced this stress after college and am comfortable being able to repeat as needed."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose the University of Alabama because it was the best place for me to continue both my basketball and academic careers. I love the program's dedication not only to us as athletes, but also to who we are as people. They are truly committed to making adaptive sports the best that they can possibly be. I am thankful for the resources that we have and for the university's support. In addition, I love the academic and social environments of the school overall. Alabama was the best fit for all of my college goals."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"Competing collegiately allows me to train alongside a team that pushes me to get better every single day. Most of my training in high school was done on my own, so practicing regularly in a team atmosphere is new for me, and I think will be incredibly beneficial in helping me prepare for Team USA. Additionally, I was thankful to have somewhere to train during the pandemic that has made training a challenge for so many athletes."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"Attending college will allow me to get a degree in psychology, which is a step toward my ultimate career goal of counseling and sports psychology. It will also enable me to build relationships with lifelong friends and continue to play the sport that I love. It is beneficial on so many levels and I feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose UC because of how inclusive the campus was, and because they had a good swim team. Due to Covid-19, there weren't a lot of opportunities for me to train with the team. I trained on my own and with a private coach for most of the year."
What are you looking forward to as a student-athlete?
"I am looking forward to meeting and becoming friends with other athletes as well as competing against other colleges."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"College will prepare me for life by giving me the skills that I need to be successful in my career."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"As a student-athlete, often times we get recruited because of the player/athlete we are. I chose to go to UW-Whitewater to pursue becoming the best athlete I could possibly be. It was less about my ability, and more of my potential."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"As a collegiate athlete I learned principles of being an elite level athlete both on and off the court. Being a member of Team USA is a tremendous honor and comes with a big responsibility. At UW-Whitewater, I learned how to prioritize those responsibilities."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"My college experiences prepared me for the real world. I acquired major life skills in college like time management, working/living with others and balancing social life with major priorities."
Why did you choose your college, and what did you like most about being a student-athlete there?
"I chose University of Kansas because it was an exceptional school for sports management. I enjoyed being a student-athlete because we had the opportunity to get classes before others, as well as the rigorous group study schedule after practice."
How did competing collegiately help prepare you for competing on Team USA?
"The rigid schedule for both sport and academics made it easy transition for me into the U.S. Army."
How did (or will) going to college prepare you for life?
"College helped me prepare for my military career, as well as working within the civilian sector after retirement. I was able to juggle my workouts along with civilian employment. Since 2014, I have retired completely, and focus solely on training. Being a former collegiate athlete and retired Army soldier has enabled me to treat my training as a job, keeping to a rigorous schedule of riding, lifting and recovery."
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