U.S. Para Swimmers Mirror on The Highs of 2025 and Look Ahead to 2026

As we have fun the starting of a new yr, lots of the U.S. Para swimmers who made an impression this previous season at meets each home and overseas are trying ahead to what the subsequent 12 months will carry. 

Whether that’s a transfer, commencement, tons extra swimming and even beginning a household, we caught up with a handful of athletes and requested what they’re trying ahead to in 2026. 

Here’s what they needed to say.  

Paralympian Noah Jaffe appears again on 2025 as a constructing yr. He completed his undergraduate diploma in biochemistry at University of California, Berkeley and competed at his second world championships. He plans to attend medical college and return to the Paralympic Games when Los Angeles hosts in 2028. But between at times, he’s open to something. 

“I don’t really know what I’m going to do next, and that’s the exciting part,” Jaffe instructed U.S. Para Swimming this fall. “I have the freedom to figure out what I want to do and how I want to approach the next few years.” 

One speedy objective is to discover a good place to coach. The Carlsbad, California, native mentioned he might keep native and discover a program, however he might additionally relocate if he finds a great match. 

“I’m keeping my options open,” he mentioned. 

Taylor Winnett can also be taking a look at a 2026 that might go many alternative ways. The greatest motive why is as a result of she and her husband wish to begin their household.  

“I’ve been talking with a lot of different athletes, and I really look up to some of the athletes on the team who are mothers or thinking of becoming mothers, because we can be strong, powerful athletes and mothers,” she mentioned. “They’re not exclusive of each other.” 

Winnett mentioned between her again harm and Ehlers Danlers Syndrome she is liable to fertility points, however her and her husband are trying into changing into licensed foster mother and father to offer themselves extra choices. 

“We’re open to all the options,” she mentioned. “So I might be swimming at a lot of meets (next year), but we just don’t know because I could be pregnant next month,” she mentioned. “You don’t know unless you try. But I do plan to keep training and being fit and if I don’t get pregnant, I’m ready to race. There’s lots of uncertainty, but we’ll see. I plan to stick around.” 

Gia Pergolini is a senior at Florida International University and can graduate in 2026 with a level in communications, so that’s one huge objective that she’ll examine off the to-do record.  

When it involves swimming, Pergolini is hoping to compete within the Para Pan Pacific Championships in August and mentioned she’d like to journey to Australia for the Para Swimming World Series meet in February. But general, she’s trying ahead to having an informal yr. 

“A breather year,” she mentioned. “I just want to have options and obviously still do well and swim in the range of my best times, but no stress and no pressure this year.” 

Pergolini’s coaching for the Paralympics will kick up a notch in 2027, so she’s planning to prioritize her psychological well being this yr and never let swimming take over her life, she mentioned.  

Lawrence Sapp is one other Paralympian who’ll be graduating from faculty in 2026. The University of Missouri-St. Louis senior capped off this yr with a robust exhibiting on the ultimate World Series meet of the season in Lima, Peru, with gold and the “B” workforce nationwide minimize for the 100-meter butterfly S14 and a private greatest within the 100-meter backstroke. 

“When I wasn’t in the pool, I was resting, making friends and going to activities,” he mentioned of his 2025. “In 2026, I am looking forward to doing more competitions and graduating from college.” 

Eden Schroeder is at the moment pursuing one among her greatest targets in life: a doctorate in scientific psychology. She already counsels newly injured sufferers on the Shepherd Center for spinal twine and mind harm rehabilitation in Atlanta and needs to construct a profession serving to folks with spinal twine accidents navigate and construct their new lives.  

In swimming, she hopes to encourage extra S1 athletes — the classification for many who have the least quantity of operate — to get entangled with the game. Currently she’s the one S1 feminine swimmer within the U.S., and the dearth of S1 girls worldwide within the sport implies that the classification isn’t at the moment included within the Paralympic program. 

“I hope that lower classes do want to get involved and see that I’m able to do it,” mentioned Schroeder, who was paralyzed from the chest down after diving from a ship and hitting a sandbar. “But despite not being able to be on Team USA (I want to show) that you can still put yourself out there and enjoy the sport and do something you love and meet good people through it.” 

She additionally hopes to return to the Para Swim World Series meet held in Indianapolis every summer time. 

“It’s international and there are other countries there despite being on U.S. soil,” she mentioned. “It’s so cool to see yourself on the big screen and see ‘USA’ next to your name. I’m looking forward to that.” 

Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has lined Olympic and Paralympic sports activities for varied publications. She is a contract contributor to USParaSwimming.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.