U.S. Paralympics Swimming | Butterfly Quick to World Class

Grace Nuhfer, a proud S13 Para swimmer, started her aquatic journey at age 7, buying and selling in a brief stint with dance sneakers for swim caps and goggles. With Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and brittle cornea syndrome narrowing her sport choices, swimming grew to become each a refuge and a rocket ship. It gave her a approach of chasing freedom, excellence and pleasure. 

 

She swam her approach by way of center college, highschool and finally to the University of Akron as a Division I athlete. But it wasn’t till midway by way of faculty that somebody mentioned the magic phrases: ‘Have you ever thought about Para swimming?’ 

 

What adopted was a whirlwind of classification makes an attempt, a damaged wrist, ligament tears and a delayed debut. Finally, in September 2023 on the California Classic, Nuhfer splashed onto the nationwide stage after which splashed some extra by casually setting an American report within the 200-meter butterfly. 

 

“Paralympics are super important,” she mentioned, and he or she made it her mission to make sure the world noticed that, too. 

 

At her first worldwide meet on the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, Nuhfer discovered upon arrival that she was the one S13 swimmer entered. Most of her occasions had been reduce, besides the 50-meter freestyle the place she promptly broke the Parapan Am report. That expertise gave her a style of what was coming on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

 

But earlier than the Eiffel Tower, there have been the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials, the place she set her expectations of contending for medals. The distinction? No dramatic ‘touch-the-wall-and-you’re-in’ second just like the Olympic Trials she grew up idolizing. 

 

“Everything was gray and uncertain,” she mentioned. The closing evening was chaos with athletes, households, coaches and spreadsheets flying as everybody tried to calculate who was going to Paris. She made it and didn’t waste a second. 

 

Her first occasion in Paris was the 100-meter butterfly, the place she snagged a silver medal for Team USA. But as quickly because the medal ceremony wrapped, she jumped proper again into the pool for warm-down. 

 

“It was bittersweet,” she mentioned. “I knew I could’ve gone faster.”  

 

Her coach reminded her that what she did represented greater than a stopwatch. It represented her journey. Her folks. Her perseverance. 

 

Every race she swam at Paris 2024 ended along with her within the closing — proof that she belonged among the many greatest on this planet. Still, the Games ended, and like many athletes, she discovered herself questioning: What now? 

The post-Games blues had been a brand new and worthy problem to navigate. It wasn’t till her faculty convention meet, racing the 200m butterfly, that she felt one thing shift. Her coach’s phrases on the end mentioned all of it: “Welcome back.” 

 

The subsequent massive aim was that world report within the 200-meter fly. She was so shut at nationals. A number of months later, on the TYR Pro Series meet, she got here in decided and quietly assured. And then destiny dealt her a wierd card: 9 ladies within the closing. Eight lanes. Nuhfer would swim alone. 

 

As she stood behind the blocks, a video recap of the Olympic Games in Paris performed within the background. Not a single point out of Para.  

 

“It was heartbreaking,” she mentioned. “Where were we?” 

 

She channeled that frustration into the race. At the 75-meter mark, a mantra looped in her thoughts: “This is not for you. This is bigger than you.” She touched the wall and broke the S13 world report. 

 

This 12 months brings her first world championship look in Singapore. She’s touring along with her greatest associates and focusing much less on strain and extra on pleasure. And her objectives of “Have fun, give it my all and walk away proud,” align with that mindset. 

 

When she’s not swimming, Nuhfer finds pleasure in flowers on her windowsill, studying, pictures and connecting with associates earlier than jetting off to the world championships. 

 

When it’s time to have a good time an accomplishment she does it with cheesecake. Specifically, Oreo cheesecake. While she’s been coaching in Colorado Springs, she’s been filming “Baking with the Blind” TikTok movies along with her S13 teammates. Raspberry swirl cupcakes is likely to be subsequent on the menu. 

 

One of probably the most significant moments in her journey got here lengthy earlier than Paris. In 2019, Nuhfer volunteered at a Para swim meet the place, for the primary time, she met athletes who had been similar to her. One of them was Colleen Young, who cracked blind jokes and made Nuhfer really feel instantly at residence. Today, they’re like siblings which is proof that Para swimming is about greater than data or medals. It’s about neighborhood. 

 

“Representation matters so much,” Nuhfer mentioned. “I wish more people could see how elite, how entertaining and how important Para sport is. We’re not to be pitied. We’re here to make change and we’re just getting started.” 

 

And when you ask Nuhfer what’s subsequent, the reply’s easy: Fly quick, make noise and have a good time each step of the method.