| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | October 24, 1992 [1] South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Spokane, Washington, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Paralympic athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Cerebral palsy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | T37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Sprints | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Taylor Swanson (born October 24, 1992) is an American T37 Paralympic sprint runner.
Swanson joined the track team at Roosevelt High School in Roosevelt, Seattle during her freshman year. She competed in the AAU Junior Olympics her junior year, and qualified for the state meet as a senior. She then attended Arizona State University. During her time in college, she continued to compete as a sprinter for the Seattle Speed Track Club. In 2014, she tore the meniscus in her right knee. Complications arose during her initial knee surgery, and two more surgeries were required. She also underwent extensive physical therapy with little to no improvement. In 2022, following the advice of her physical therapist, she began training as a Para sprinter. She moved to Spokane, Washington in 2023 to train with ParaSport Spokane, an organization governed by US Paralympic Track and Field. [2]
Swanson was officially classified as a T37 athlete in June 2023. In September of that year, Swanson raced in the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, where she finished fourth in the Para 100 meter (a race which combines multiple classifications into one event). [2]
Swanson made her international debut for the United States at the 2023 Parapan American Games. She won silvers medal in the 100 meter and 200 meter T37 events. [3] [4]
On March 18, 2024, Swanson was selected to represent the United States at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships. [5] She won a silver medal in the 100 meter T37 event with a personal-best time of 12.86 seconds. [6] She also won a silver medal in the 200 meter T37 event with a personal-best time of 26.89 seconds. [7]
Swanson was born in South Korea and was adopted at six months old by Brian Swanson and Stacy Walker and raised in the United States. At age two, she was diagnosed with a phonological process disorder, which affects language processing. Although she exhibited signs of cerebral palsy growing up, she wasn't officially diagnosed until June 2023 when doctors discovered she had hemiplegia, a type of unilateral cerebral palsy. As a child she struggled academically, but excelled at sports. [2]
In 2023, she appeared on the podcast Embracing the Journey to discuss her personal journey. [8]
Haider Ali is an all-around Pakistani para-athlete who created history at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China by winning Pakistan's first ever Paralympic games medal, a silver. He also shared a new world record with his jump of 6.44 meters at the Games. He has competed at the Paralympics on five occasions in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024. He has the unique record of winning a country's first ever Paralympic gold, silver and bronze medals as he is the only Pakistani to have won a medal in Paralympic history. On 3 September 2021, he became the first gold medalist for Pakistan at the Paralympics. In the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, he became the first Pakistani Para athlete to win a medal at the World Para Athletics Championships, a silver.
Olivia Breen is a Welsh Paralympian athlete, who competes for Wales and Great Britain mainly in T38 sprint and F38 long jump events. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics and was selected for the T38 100m and 200m sprint and was also part of the T35-38 women's relay team. She has also represented Wales at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games winning gold in the F38 Long Jump in 2018 and gold in the T37/38 100m in 2022.
Jenny McLoughlin is a British Paralympian track and field athlete competing mainly in T37 sprint events. She has represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Paralympics and in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. After moving to Wales at the age of 14, she became eligible to join the Wales team for the Commonwealth Games, winning silver in the T37 sprint in India.
Johanna Benson is a Paralympian athlete from Walvis Bay, Namibia. She competes in T37 long jump and sprint events and at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London she won the women's 200 metres race in her classification. Her 200 metres success in London made her the first Paralympic gold medalist in Namibia's history.
Ella Azura Pardy is an Australian Paralympic athlete who competes in the T38 100m, 200m and long jump. She represented Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in long jump and the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in athletics where she won a bronze medal and the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She has been selected for the 2024 Paris Paralympics - her third Games.
Svetlana Sergeeva in Kargopol, Arkhangelsk Oblast is a Paralympian athlete from Russia, competing mainly in category T37 throwing and sprint events. She competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China and the 2012 Games in London. At the London Games she won a track gold as part of the sprint relay and has also achieved success as an individual athlete at both World and European events.
Georgina Hermitage, is a British former parasport athlete competing in T37 sprint events. In 2015, she qualified for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, selected for the T37 100m and 200m. She took the gold in the 400m sprint, setting a new world record.
Jaleen Roberts is an American track and field athlete. Born with cerebral palsy, she has won medals for Team USA at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, 2019 Parapan American Games, and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships.
Brittni Mason is an American Paralympic sprinter. Born with Erb's palsy limiting her movement in her left shoulder and arm, she has won gold medals in the 100 meters at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, mixed 4 × 100 meters relay at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, and the 200 meters at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships, under the T47 class.
Ryan Medrano is an American Paralympian track and field athlete. He represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics where he won two silver medals. Additionally he is a Parapan American Games gold medalist and a World Para Athletics Championships silver medalist. He competed on the 43rd season of Survivor.
Jaydin Blackwell is an American T38 Paralympic sprint runner.
Hannah Chadwick is an American cyclist who competes in para-cycling tandem track events as a visually impaired athlete.
Derek Loccident is an American T64 Paralympic athlete.
Grace Nuhfer is an American Paralympic swimmer who represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics winning a silver medal.
Noelle Malkamaki is an American track and field athlete competing in shot put. She represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, winning a gold medal in shot put and setting a new world record.
Arelle Middleton is an American para track and field athlete who competes in shot put and discus throw. She was a silver medalist in shot put at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, throwing a distance of 12.19 m. She also plays wheelchair basketball.
Samantha Heyison, is an American Paralympic athlete specializing in throwing events. She will represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Taleah Williams is an American Paralympic athlete specializing in long jump.
Leo Merle VI is an American Paralympic middle-distance runner. He will represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Eva Houston is an American T34 wheelchair racer.
