Swimmers Jessica Long And Brad Snyder Overcame Fears To Create Magic At The London Paralympics
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16
GOLD
8
SILVER
5
BRONZE
5'11"
Feb 29, 1992
Baltimore, MD
classification: S8, SB7, SM8
Long grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, but is originally from Siberia...When she was only 13 months old, she was adopted from a Russian orphanage...Born with fibular hemimelia, she didn’t have fibulas, ankles, heels and most of the other bones in her feet...At 18 months old, her legs were amputated below the knees so she could be fitted for prosthetic legs and learn how to walk...She has been involved in many sports including gymnastics, basketball, cheerleading, ice skating, biking, running, and rock climbing...She learned how to swim in her grandparents’ pool where she would spend hours pretending she was a mermaid...Daughter of Steve & Beth Long...Has five siblings, Amanda, Steven, Joshua, Hannah, and Grace...Joined first competitive swim team at 10 years old...First international competition was the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games...At 12 years old, was the youngest athlete on the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team in Athens...Winner of 77th AAU James E. Sullivan Award...Three-time (2007, 2012, 2013) recipient of the ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award...Named to Sports Illustrated’s “The World’s Best Female Athletes"...Twice (2006, 2011) named Disabled Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine...Commented for NBC at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games...Is a leap year baby...Interests include Pilates, reading, interior design, finding new coffee shops and spending time with family.
I choose to look at my life in a positive way. If I wasn’t missing my legs, I may not have found swimming.
I was eight years old when I heard of the Paralympics for the first time. I was competing at a swim meet when a few officials came over after my race to ask me if I participated in adaptive sports. I had no idea what the Paralympics were. So, I went ho...
A former able-bodied swimming star, Raleigh Crossley is set to compete in this week’s Para swimming world championships.
Veterans Jessica Long and Leanne Smith lead a balanced U.S. team.
Para swimming newcomer Olivia Chambers is the top-ranked 400-meter freestyler in the world in the S13 class.