Deaf Swimmer Defies Odds

Miss-Delectable

Miss-Delectable

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Deaf Swimmer Defies Odds - Health News Story - KSAT San Antonio

Swimming is Abby McAlpin's passion. "I love swimming. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. It's just my life. I love it," McAlpin said.

McAlpin, a junior at O'Connor High School, has been swimming competitively since she was 9-years-old and despite being born deaf, she's been making big waves at competitions.

"She's very competitive. When its' time to race, she gets up there and she lets it go," said Bill Thomas, Aquatics Coordinator and Head Coach at Northside Natatorium said.

McAlpin reads lips, uses hearing aids when possible and her coaches make sure to give her written instructions as well.

She also has to pay close attention to the starting signals. "It's hard, but I don't let it get to me. I don't like let it put me down," McAlpin said. "If you have a disability, you shouldn't let it hold you back."

Not only has Abby broken swim records at O'Connor High School, she recently received several medals in the World Deaf Championships in Portugal.

Abby said the experience changed her outlook on life. "At first I wasn't very sure of myself and now I'm very sure that I'm proud to be deaf and it's who I am today," she said.

In 2013, McAlpin will compete with the U.S. Team at the Deaflympics and she hopes to inspire others as well.

"I definitely want to help deaf children. I want them to know that if they have a dream, they can reach it," Abby said.
 
Yes, because the inability to hear greatly affects your ability to swim? Aside from an accommodation for the start...why is the journalist making this out to be something spectacular? Why not just talk about her ability to swim?
 
I only logged in this morning to comment on this offending article. The fact that the girl is Deaf has nothing to do with her ability to swim. You do not need to hear the whistle, you can see it being blown and if you swim as often as I used to and I was on a swimming team when I was younger, you know the rules and you know the signals from your peers and coach. This....angers me. Disability my butt...and the statement " no matter the disability don't let it hold you back". Yeah well, it's not being Deaf that holds us back. It's the hearing world, the society and articles like this that make it seem as if the girl shouldn't be able to swim because she's Deaf...
give me a break.

I'm done here before my blood pressure boils.
 
Emmer said:
Yes, because the inability to hear greatly affects your ability to swim? Aside from an accommodation for the start...why is the journalist making this out to be something spectacular? Why not just talk about her ability to swim?
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Agreed and you get a "like" for this. :ty:
 
Getting instructions by writting and lip reading.. I am sure that is difficult, I applaud her outshining her hearing peers.
 
Yet another example of how low the expectations are of a deaf person. Swimming well "despite being deaf" isn't quite an achievement...

And yet.... it IS more difficult for a deaf person to achieve something because of discrimination. She deserves the recognition...

And yet.... the article somewhat reinforces that MOST deaf people can't achieve much, so they feel the need to point out the so called "superstars". The reporters most likely would NOT have written this article about a hearing swimmer, because it's not really "news".

And yet.... it's good to point out deaf people and talk about them often in order to (hopefully?) raise expectations of deaf people. "A deaf swimmer? Oh so what? I hear about those all the time."

Oh.. what to do? Oh.. what to think?
 
Daredevel7 said:
Yet another example of how low the expectations are of a deaf person. Swimming well "despite being deaf" isn't quite an achievement...

And yet.... it IS more difficult for a deaf person to achieve something because of discrimination. She deserves the recognition...

And yet.... the article somewhat reinforces that MOST deaf people can't achieve much, so they feel the need to point out the so called "superstars". The reporters most likely would NOT have written this article about a hearing swimmer, because it's not really "news".

And yet.... it's good to point out deaf people and talk about them often in order to (hopefully?) raise expectations of deaf people. "A deaf swimmer? Oh so what? I hear about those all the time."

Oh.. what to do? Oh.. what to think?
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What if they said she excelled in spite of being jewish? Would there be an uproar? Most assuredly.
 
Beowulf said:
What if they said she excelled in spite of being jewish? Would there be an uproar? Most assuredly.
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To me, that is different. Being Jewish is not a physical limitation. If there were any discrimination/pity towards Jewish people, it stems purely from racism.

But for deafness, it does not come from hate. It comes from ignorance, low expectations, pity for people who are "missing" something, therefore they are not whole beings, or unable to function like whole beings.

I mean, I could use the same example:

"John ran an ultramarathon, despite being amputated on both legs."

Would that cause an uproar for those who were amputated?
 
Daredevel7 said:
To me, that is different. Being Jewish is not a physical limitation. If there were any discrimination/pity towards Jewish people, it stems purely from racism.

But for deafness, it does not come from hate. It comes from ignorance, low expectations, pity for people who are "missing" something, therefore they are not whole beings, or unable to function like whole beings.

I mean, I could use the same example:

"John ran an ultramarathon, despite being amputated on both legs."

Would that cause an uproar for those who were amputated?
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Deafness is not a limitation in swimming either. But I do like that she said she's proud to be deaf.
 
DeafCaroline said:
Deafness is not a limitation in swimming either. But I do like that she said she's proud to be deaf.
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Nope, it's not, which is why some deaf people are annoyed by this article. "WTF does swimming have to do with deafness?"

However, are you saying this article would be okay if swimming was replaced with something like.. say... dancing? or playing a musical instrument?
 
Daredevel7 said:
To me, that is different. Being Jewish is not a physical limitation. If there were any discrimination/pity towards Jewish people, it stems purely from racism.

But for deafness, it does not come from hate. It comes from ignorance, low expectations, pity for people who are "missing" something, therefore they are not whole beings, or unable to function like whole beings.

I mean, I could use the same example:

"John ran an ultramarathon, despite being amputated on both legs."

Would that cause an uproar for those who were amputated?
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Only among the purists. :lol:
Still, that WOULD be a discriminating statement. No mention should be made at all of ambulatory status. Sounds bizarre, right?
 
Daredevel7 said:
Nope, it's not, which is why some deaf people are annoyed by this article. "WTF does swimming have to do with deafness?"

However, are you saying this article would be okay if swimming was replaced with something like.. say... dancing? or playing a musical instrument?
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Dancing and music, both of which typically involves hearing is a little different. One would wonder how a deaf kid can play a musical instrument well or how a deaf woman could follow the complex beats of Argentine tango.
 
Beowulf said:
Only among the purists. :lol:
Still, that WOULD be a discriminating statement. No mention should be made at all of ambulatory status. Sounds bizarre, right?
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That's the way it should be in a discrimination-less world. However, since it's not......

We have to make it to be one by repeating it often enough until no one GARA if one is deaf or not.
 
Daredevel7 said:
That's the way it should be in a discrimination-less world. However, since it's not......

We have to make it to be one by repeating it often enough until no one GARA if one is deaf or not.
Click to expand...

Before I agree, what is GARA? :giggle:
 
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