As I write this the 2012 Paralympic Games are ending in
London. Over one thousand athletes
competed in the games. New Hampshire’s
Victoria Arlen was one of them.
Victoria was born in September, 1994. She has one older brother and two brothers who happened to have been born on the same day she was. As if being a triplet wasn’t interesting enough, Victoria can now also claim the title of Gold Medal Swimmer. Still not impressive enough? How about the fact that she only started competitive swimming a little over a year ago? How about the fact that a few years before that she suffered from transverse myelitis, a disorder that turned an eleven-year-old girl from active to comatose?
Once Victoria was diagnosed, treatment began but left her
paralyzed from the waist down. Therapy
and learning how to play sled hockey built up her stamina. Victoria decided she wanted to be able to
swim again and began competing.
Victoria, the daughter of Jacqueline and Larry Arlen is a
senior at Exeter High School. She is trying her hand at acting and modeling and
continues to play sled hockey as well as tennis. She’s also looking at
colleges.
At this year’s Paralympics, Victoria competed in five events
including the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 meter breaststroke. She won gold
in the 100 meter freestyle and 3 silver medals in the other events.
British journalist Paul Kelso, writes in the United
Kingdom’s The Telegraph: “…Arlen could even turn USA on to an event it largely ignores.”
He’s
right. We should pay more attention to
the Paralympic Games—and especially to Victoria Arlen.
2 comments:
Inspiring!
I find athletes like Arlen way more inspiring than the little Flying Squirrels of the world. (Not that the little Flying Squirrels aren't great, but the little Flying Squirrels have two good legs under them.)
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