`Swimming Is When I Feel Least Disabled'.

• Author: CASTLE, SARAH
• Position: Brief Article

On January 30, 1995, my mom had just driven me home from a normal day at school when I began to feel a lot of pain. I had a headache; all my muscles were aching. I ran into the house, sat down for five minutes stood up, and fell to the floor. My mom had to carry me to the car to take me to the emergency room.

I found out that my immune system had malfunctioned for no apparent reason and my spinal cord had been damaged. My condition was called acute transverse myelitis. Within a couple of years, I gained enough strength in my legs to be able to walk short distances with support, but I use a wheelchair most of the time.

When I was first hospitalized, a doctor told me about sports camps for kids with disabilities. That appealed to me because I had always been extremely active in sports and swam all year round. Three years later, I competed in swimming in the nationals for disabled athletes and did very well.

At that point, I decided to aim for the Paralympics, an international competition every four years for disabled athletes that is the equivalent of the Olympic Games for able-bodied athletes. This year, the Paralympics will take place in Sydney, Australia, from October 18 to 29, just after the Olympic Games there. I hope to be at the Paralympics as a member of the U.S. swim team.

I live in...