Clips 09 — Proving Myself

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

I think growing up, I had a chip on my shoulder, if you would, uh, being disabled, being different, being the other, being, you know, the only kid on crutches and braces in my school, and trying to compete with people. So in the beginning, there was always this proving myself to others. My freshman year of college, I went to Franklin and Marshall, a small college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

My dad at that time was retiring from the foreign service. He was going to move back to California from New Zealand. So after my freshman year at Franklin and Marshall, I drove cross country in my Volkswagen and then began my life in California. And I just stumbled on to sports for people with disabilities.

Finally, I became comfortable in my own skin in a way. I was able not to compete against you or people that were able-bodied. That was not a level playing field. Wow. I could do this nationally. I like to travel. Hey, I’m an athlete. If I swim fast enough, I can go to Rio de Janeiro. So I got fast. And I got to Brazil, got some metals, and I kind of found my voice.

And then that started a 27 year long swimming career in the Paralympics. So in the beginning, I think I tried to prove myself to others. And later in life it was like, okay, I have to prove myself to myself.

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