Adapted Swimming

Ohio Adapted Swimming

Adapted Swimming News

6th Annual GTAC Disability Open May 16-17, 2009
The meet is open to swimmers with disabilities from all nations.  The location of the meet this year is the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.  There will be classification available at the meet.  There is also officials training to be held in conjunction with the meet.  Complete Meet packet information is available at the GTAC website www.gtacswim.com.  Questions can be directed to meet director Keith Kennedy at kkjrswim@yahoo.com.

2009 US Paralympics Spring Swimming Championships  Spring CanAm  March 19-21, 2009
Mt. Hood Community College, Gresham, Oregon is the site for the Spring CanAm meet and is an opportunity for compeition and classification.  For meet pack information visit the US Paralympic site at www.usparalympics.org

Ohio athletes compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing China
Ohio Swimming was well represented in the past Olympic Year on the adapted side of swimming.  Athletes, Beth Kolbe and April Kerley of Seneca Aquatic Klub, along with Coach Peggy Ewald as an assistant coach and Cindy Roberts of Greater Toledo Aquatic Club as an IPC official, all were at the 2008 Beijing Paraplympic Games.  Coach Keith Kennedy was appointed tot he trip as an assistant coach but had to decline the position due to scheduling conflicts.

Kolbe finished 5th in the 50 Freestyle setting a new American Record and 8th in the 50 Backstroke for the S3 classification while Kerley finished 5th in the 50 Freestyle, 9th in the 100 Freestyle and 14th in the 100 Butterfly in the S9 classification.

Kolbe graduated in the spring of 2008 from Harvard and will begin law school at Stanford in the fall of 2009. Kolbe will continue to swim while she transitions to school and life in California next fall.   Kerley is training and will continuing on the US National Team while she works fulltime in Cincinnati area.

June 2008  US Paralympic Team Camp at the USOC
The team arrived at the Olympic Training Center to review all the logistic for the trip to Beijing.  The team participated in workouts, team building activities, and briefings from many USOC staff.  It was a great weekend of team bonding and logistical planning.  Everyone left camp with a renewed sense of motivation to push the level of training up and set our sights on the medal count for Beijing.  Ohio athletes participating were April Kerley of Loveland and Beth Kolbe of Tiffin/Boston.  Coach Peggy Ewald of Tiffin/Ada also participated as an assistant coach on the staff for the games. 

4/27/2008 5th Annual GTAC Disability Open A Success
Thanks to Keith Kennedy of Greater Toldeo Aquatic Club and Eastern Michigan University the long course IPC Swimming meet was a great success.  The meet incorporated classification for athletes, officials training and provided a great meet environment for all levels of ability.  Many of the athletes from the 2008 US Paralympic team attended the meet in support of the open meet.  April Kerley, Loveland, OH and a member of SAK and a member of the 2008 Paralympic Team attended the meet .  Log onto www.gtacswim.com for more result details. 

4/7/2008 US Paralympic Trials

4 from Ohio Swimming a part of the US Paralympic Team bound for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China
April Kerley, Loveland, Ohio, S9 classification, and Beth Kolbe, Boston, MA/Tiffin, OH, S3 classification, will represent the United States in the 2008 Paralympic Games.  Both athletes swim for Seneca Aquatic Klub (SAK) and are members of the US Paralympic team.  Both athletes were nominated to the 2008 US Paralympic Team comprised of 38 athletes at the US Paralympic Trials held April 3-5 in Minneapolis. MN at the University of Minnesota.  Coach Peggy Ewald, ONU/SAK and Keith Kennedy, GTAC/SF, will be a part of the games staff serving as Assistant Coaches to Head Coach Julie O’Neill.

Kolbe was nominated for the 50 Backstroke after earning a silver medal at Trials in the event.  She will compete in the 50 Backstroke and the 50 and 100 Free.  Kerley was nominated for the 50 Free after earning a gold medal at Trials in the event.  She will compete in the 50 and 100 Free and the 100 Butterfly. 

This is Kolbe’s second nomination to a games and Kerley’s first.  Kolbe was nominated in 2004 but had to decline due to academic requirements and began her studies at Harvard University, Boston.   She will graduate this spring from Harvard and defer law school for a year to participate in the 2008 Games.  Kerley will take a leave of absences from her full time position for Financial Network to participate in Beijing.

Check out this link.  www.usparalympics.org 

Did you know that there are 21 million Americans with a physical disability? Shockingly, less than 10-percent of them participate in daily physical activity.  Nike and U.S. Paralympics want to identify and increase the number of persons with physical disabilities active in sport by making them aware of Paralympic organizations in their community. 

The link includes the recent Nike ad, which features Paralympian and wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott. By sharing this link with your friends, business associates, parents, athletes and supporters, we hope to expand awareness about the opportunities to be active, healthy and make a difference in the lives of thousands of physically disabled people.    

12/8/2007 US Paralympic Open Swimming Championships/2007 Can-Am Open results
Ohio Swimming was well represented this past weekend at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium.  Three Ohio swimming athletes participated in the event, April Kerley, S9 classification of Seneca Aquatic Klub from Loveland, OH, Beth Kolbe, S3 classification of Seneca Aquatic Klub, Boston, MA/Tiffin, OH and Amber Salsburey, S7 classification of Buckeye Swim Club, Columbus, OH.

Kerley won the 50 Freestyle, was 2nd in the 200 Freestyle, 3rd in the 50 Butterfly, 5th in the 100 Freestyle, 7th in 100 Butterfly and 9th in the 200IM.

Kolbe finished in 2nd place in the 50 Backstroke and 100 Freestyle while placing 3rd in the 50 Freestyle.

Salsburey finished in 4th place in the 50 Butterfly, 9th in both the 50 Freestyle and 50 Breaststroke, 10th in the 400 Freestyle, 11th in the 100 Breaststroke and 12th in the 100 Freestyle.

8/22/07 Kolbe wins a Gold, 2 Silver and a Bronze at the Parapan American Games
Beth Kolbe (Boston, MA/Tiffin, OH), S3 classification, swam to capture a gold medal in the 50 Backstroke, Silver in the 50  and 100 Freestyle and a Bronze in the 200 Freestyle.  Kolbe, a co-captain of the young Parapan Am team, had the distinct honor of winning the 54th medal for the US Team.  The team set a goal of 54 medals for the 6 day compeition but was able to surpass the goal by 3 medals.  The team was coached by Head Coach Peggy Ewald (Ada, OH/Tiffin, OH) and Assistant Coach Andrew Barranco (Baltimore, MD).

8/1/07 Kolbe & Ewald head to Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
US Paralympic team members Beth Kolbe ( Tiffin, OH) and Michael Prout (West Springfield, Mass) were elected as the US Parapan AM Games team captains by their team mates.  The Parapan American Games will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 12-19.  The Head Coach for the US Paralympic swim team at the Games is Peggy Ewald of Tiffin, OH.  Ewald is also the Head Coach for Ohio Northern University Men’s & Women’s team along with Head Coach for Seneca Aquatic Klub, Tiffin, OH.  Kolbe, a senior this fall at Harvard, swims winter season as a team member of Harvard’s Women’s team and is training this summer with Seneca Aquatic Klub.  Kolbe stated "I’m excited to be representing the US at the Parapan AM Games, especially as co-captain for the team.  I’m looking forward to competing against the fastest swimmers in North and South America."

7/19/07 Kerley & Kolbe bring home gold and bronze as members of the US Paralympic Swim Team
The US Paralympic Swim Team competed July 13-15 at the Summer Can-Am Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia. The three day competition included swimmers from Canada, USA, China, Mexico, Australia, and Germany.  Both Ohio swimmers earned medals in the meet. Kerley a US Elite Team member earned  gold in the 50 Free and as a relay member of  the 400 Free Relay, as well as  bronze in the 100 Free.  Kolbe earned gold  in the 150 IM and  bronze in the 50 Backstroke and 50 Free.  Coach Peggy Ewald, Tiffin, OH was an assistant coach for the US Paralympic Team.  Both Kerley and Kolbe are training under Seneca Aquatic Klub.

5/12/07  Jim Peterfish Leads National USABA Swim Program
Head Coach of the Westerville Aquatic Club, Jim Peterfish, has accepted the position of National Coordinator/Head Swim Coach for USABA (United States Association of Blind Athletes).  Luckily for us in Ohio, he will be able to assume his USABA duties while maintaining his head coach position with the Westerville Aquatic Club and his teaching job at the Ohio School for the Blind.  He is already busy planning for USABA’s Team USA swimmers at the World Youth Games in July in Colorado Springs.  Congratulations, Jim!   For more information on opportunities available to swimmers with a visual impairment, please contact Jim at: swimcoordinator@usaba.org

4/15/07 - 4th Annual GTAC Disability Meet A Success
Thanks go to Keith Kennedy, Cindy Roberts and the rest of the GTAC staff for another very successful meet for swimmers with a disability from all across the country and from Mexico! Many new American and Pan-Am records were set; AAU Sullivan award winner Jessica Long from Maryland set two new World records in the 200 and 1500 free. (The fifteen-year-old swimmer beat out 14 other finalists, including Phelps and Ohno, for the Sullivan award.)

3/31/07 - Ohio Represented at World Junior Championships
Amber Salsburey (S7) and her coach Laurie Karr from the Buckeye Swim Club traveled to South Africa with the US Team for the World Junior Disability Championships. Laurie Karr was on the coaching staff for the US Team. Amber holds 7 National Records with Wheelchair Sports USA. Congratulations Amber and Laurie!

3/20/07 - Brazil Para-PanAm Team Announced
Ohio swimmer Beth Kolbe was named to the Brazil Para PanAm Team after qualifying at the Montreal Can-Am meet. Beth currently is on the US Paralympic National Team with top 8 world rankings. (Elite Team swimmers with top 3 world rankings were not eligible for the Brazil Para PanAm team; the US Elite Team will compete in Germany in May.) Fifteen swimmers from across the country will represent the US at the meet in Rio de Janeiro, which will take place in August after the Pan Ams. Ohio coach Peggy Ewald will be the Head Coach for the US Swim Team in Brazil.

3/18/07 - Montreal CAN-AM Meet
Despite a snow storm, Ohio was well-represented at the Can-Am Meet in Montreal, Quebec. Cindy Roberts officiated, Beth Kolbe and April Kerley competed, and Peggy Ewald coached. April won gold medals in both the 50 free and 100 fly; her 100 fly was a best time as well as her 200 IM. Recovering from a recent illness, Beth still significantly improved her swim times from last summer’s Can-Am Meet in San Antonio and received four medals.

3/12/07 - US Paralympic Elite Team to Compete in Germany
April Kerley from Loveland (near Cincinnati) has repeatedly earned Elite Team status with top 3 world rankings. April will join the rest of the US Paralympic Elite Team at the German Open Championships in Berlin at the end of May 2007. Great job, April!

3/10/07 - Ohio Coach Selected for International Meets
Peggy Ewald, Head Coach for the Seneca Aquatic Klub and the Ohio Northern University Swim Teams, will be on the US Paralympic coaching staff for the German Open Championships in Berlin in May 2007, the Summer Can Am Meet in Vancouver in July 2007, and the Brazil Para PanAmerican Meet in Rio de Janeiro in August 2007. Congratulations, Peggy, on being named Head Coach for the Brazil Para PanAms!

3/2/07 - US Team Announced for World Cup Invitational
Beth Kolbe (S3) from Tiffin was invited to represent the United States at the World Cup in Manchester, England. She will join 340 athletes from 47 countries who will be competing across four sports at the third 2007 Visa Paralympic World Cup. The swimming events will take place May 12 and 13. Beth earned her first international medal at the first World Cup in 2005 when she came in third in the 50 back. 

General Overview of Adapted Swimming
Adapted swimming is a broad term relating to swimmers with a disability. This includes common sense adaptations of competition rules (for example, not disqualifying a swimmer with quadriplegia for not moving his legs), inclusion for swimmers with a disability in all swimming organizations (club, YMCA, high school, college, etc.), official classification for fair competition, paralympic competition opportunities, and information support.  More info under the ’adapted’ section on the Ohio Swimming Website.

Swimmers with a Disability are Welcome to Enter Ohio Swimming Meets

Coaches: 1) Enter the swimmer on Hy-Tek or the paper entry form; 2) Provide advance notice of any necessary accommodations; 3) List in the email with the Hy-Tek entry (or on paper) the swimmer’s name, entry times, stokes/distances, days/sessions, and how the swimmer prefers to be seeded. Swimmers with a disability will be seeded with the same age group in either the same distance race or a longer distance race (i.e., 50 free during the 100 free). Qualifying time standards at regular season meets are waived for swimmers with a disability. For Ohio Swimming Championship meets, swimmers with a disability may enter if they qualify in at least one event for the US Paralympic National Championships. At the Central Zone meet, four swimmers with a disability are welcome on the Ohio Zone Team without meeting the time standards. 

Upcoming Events in Adapted Swimming
Swimmers with a disabiltiy are welcome to enter USA Swimming and Ohio Swimming meets.  In addition, the following paralympic meeets for swimmers with a disabilty are offered:

 March 19-21, 2009
2009 US Paralympics Spring Swimming Championships/Spring CanAm
Mt. Hood Community College/ Gresham, Oregon

 May 16-17, 2009
2009 GTAC Disability Open
University of Cincinnati/ Cincinnati, OH
LCM / Classification Available / IPC Approved 

May 21-26, 2009
Paralympic World Cup
Manchester, England
LCM / Classification Available / IPC Approved

INVITEES ONLY

 July 31-Aug. 2, 2009
Summer Can-Am Swimming Championships - Open
Kinsmen Aquatic Center/ Edmonton, Alberta Canada
LCM / Classification Available / IPC Approved 

For more meet information email: meets@pacificcoastswimming.com 

October 15-25, 2009
2009 Youth Parapan American Games
Cartagena, Columbia
Selected Team
LCM / IPC Approved

Coach Peggy Ewald appointed Team Manager for the Games.

 November 5-8, 2009
2009 National Team and Emerging Athlete Camp

Colorado Springs, OTC
November 25-December 7, 2009
2009 IPC SwimmingShort Course World Championships
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Look for more information on the US Paralympic website under ‘sports‘ then ‘swimming‘ then ‘events‘: www.usolympicteam.com/paralympics  

Championship Requirements
As specified in the statement printed in all Ohio Swimming meet packets, swimmers with a disability may enter Ohio Swimming Championship meets if they have a qualifying time for at least one event for the US Paralympic National Championships. If a swimmer does not have an official International Paralympic Classification, it is acceptable in this instance for the swimmer’s coach to determine the probable classification. Also, please note that with only one national qualifying time, a swimmer with a disability may enter more than one event at the Ohio Swimming Championship meet. To view the current qualifying times, please click the appropriate time standard below:

Women SCY    Men SCY

Women LCM   Men LCM    

Disability Classifications
Classification in swimming attempts to place individuals with disabilities into groups of comparable abilities and function. Quite simply, classification provides the structure which allows swimming competition to take place.

Classes 1-10 are allocated to swimmers with a physical disability.
Classes 11-13 are allocated to swimmers with a visual disability.
Class 14 is allocated to swimmers with an intellectual disability.

The prefix S before the class represents Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly.
The prefix SB before the class represents Breaststroke.
The prefix SM before the class represents Individual Medley.

The classes range from swimmers with severe disability (S1, SB1, SM1) to those with minimal disability (S10, SB9, SM10).

The Layman’s Guide to Classifications is particularly helpful and can be found on the following International Paralympic Committee website under ‘classification’: www.ipcswimming.org  

Free Materials
For Ohio Swimming photo bookmarks, US Paralympic ‘seeking swimmers’ flyers, classification information, photo pocket folders, and reference cards listing adapted swimming resources on the web, please contact the Ohio Swimming Adapted Chair listed under the ‘Contact Information’ link on this webpage.  

Central Zone Meet
As specified in the statement printed in all Ohio Swimming meet packets, 4 swimmers with a disability (2 in each age group) are welcome on the Ohio Zone Team without meeting the time standards. This is a great way to encourage and motivate young swimmers with a disability! More information on the Central Zone meet for Ohio Swimming is available on the following website: www.centralzones.org

Swimmers who are interested in participating in the Central Zone meet should contact their coaches and the Ohio Swimming Adapted Chairperson (please see contact information below) at least two months before the Central Zone meet. In the event that more than 2 swimmers with a disability in each age group are interested, the Ohio Swimming Adapted Chairperson will be responsible for selecting the 4 Ohio participants for that year’s meet. 

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