April

Kerley

April Kerley learned to swim as a six-year-old and quickly took to the sport. She began competing two years later on summer swim clubs and then went on to swim in high school and as an NCAA Division I swimmer for one season at Xavier University. After earning her bachelor's degree, she learned about Paralympic swimming and returned to competition after a seven-year hiatus.

Kerley has established herself as one the top freestyle sprinters in her class, winning the silver medal at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships. In 2008, at her first Paralympic Games, Kerley placed fifth 50m Freestyle S9.

Major Achievements:

• 2008: U.S. Paralympic Team member, Swimming - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
• 2008: First place, 50m freestyle - U.S. Paralympic Team Trials - Swimming, Minneapolis, Minn. 
• 2007: First place, 50m freestyle; second place, 200m freestyle; third place, 50m butterfly - U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships, College Park, Md.
• 2006: Gold medal and world record holder, 4x100m freestyle relay; silver medal, 50m freestyle - IPC Swimming World Championships, Durban, South Africa
• Named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Team of the Month, December 2006 with the 4x100 freestyle relay with teammates Erin Popovich, Jessica Long and Ashley Owens
• 2006: American and Pan American record, 50m freestyle - U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships, San Antonio, Texas
• 2005: Qualified for U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Team
• Holds a total of nine American records (short course and long course events)