Paralympic swimmer brings home the gold

One Seattle University student continues to achieve gold-medal Paralympics performances in swimming despite the prejudice she faces.


Casey Johnson, sophomore math major, is a dwarf who has been swimming since she was three years old. Influenced by an aunt who was a swimmer, she began taking lessons and competed on her first team in fourth grade.


"I remember when I was in fourth grade I wanted to try cheer, but my mom wanted me to choose between that and swimming," said Johnson. "I told her ‘I can't go to the Olympics for cheer,' so I chose swimming."


The California-native competed in local meets against "average-sized" swimmers until she was 13 when she competed in her first championship meet in the U.S. Disability Championship. She won gold in the 100-meter butterfly.


Johnson began competing in the Paralympics in 2004 where she won a bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle relay. She qualified for the U.S. Paralympic Swimming National Championships the next year and placed first in 200-meter individual medley and second in the 100-meter backstroke, 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly and 400-meter freestyle.


"My favorite part about competing in the Paralympics is being able to see the world," Johnson said. "China and Brazil have been my two favorite locations."


She continued to compete in the Paralympics across the nation and globe, and is still on the U.S. Paralympics team now. Since 2006, she has won 12 silver, 2 gold and 7 bronze medals. She broke records at the PanAm Games in the 200-meter freestyle relay in 2004, in the 100-meter butterfly at the CanAm Championships in 2008 and the 50-meter butterfly in 2009 at the Paralympics. She continues to train daily in Mercer Island and trains with her coach, Jeri Marshburn in California when she visits home. 


Johnson says her biggest supporter is her mother, who has assisted her financially since she was very young, used to drive her to practices at 5 a.m. and watched all her meets. Her biggest inspiration is her team.


"I have the least serious disability out of everyone on my team," Johnson said. "To hear what some of them have to overcome makes me want to just keep swimming."


Johnson takes pride in her ability to overcome her coaching obstacles and prejudice in the sport. She had struggled with middle and high school coaches who refused to move her to a high competing level despite her success because of her size. Marshburn has become the one coach to overlook this.


"She treats me with the same respect that she'd treat any swimmer with," Johnson said.


She also feels confident in her ability to balance school and swimming. She describes herself as remaining "proactive" by notifying her teachers well in advance about her meets and by working ahead of the class when a meet is nearby.


Johnson has set two major goals for herself. Her long-term goal is to break a world record in the Paralympics before she retires. Her short-term goal is to qualify for the World Championship Long Course swimming team. She is attending trials at the end of March in San Antonio, Tex.


"I feel my biggest [sense of accomplishment] comes from getting this far in swimming and from overcoming all of my obstacles," Johnson said.

Kat may be reached at acatlett@su-spectator.com