Alejandra Aybar

Started: She began Para swimming at age 26 in 2015. She took up the sport at the Juan Pablo Duarte Aquatics Centre in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024, 09 Sep 2019, 02 Dec 2017; paralympic.org, 03 Jul 2019; prensamormona.do, 10 Jul 2017) Reason: She began swimming following a medical recommendation. "It was incredible. I didn't know how to swim, but I enjoyed the feeling of the water and I could move my legs. I felt alive in the water." (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; paralympics.org, 12 Mar 2021) Ambition: To reach finals at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024) Awards: She was named 2021 Athlete of the Year by the Club Deportivo Naco in the Dominican Republic. (notidiarias.com, 14 Feb 2022) She and fellow swimmer Patricio Lopez were named Dominican Republic's flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (cdn.com.do, 10 Apr 2022; edesur.com.do, 15 Sep 2021) Additional Info: EARLY DAYS She says she often did not feel like she fitted in during her youth, but that she has since come to accept her impairment and individuality. "Growing up in a small neighbourhood was hard because I was different. Everybody stared and whispered in front of me. I felt terrible. I only had one friend. Despite this, I faced physical challenges with courage, but I felt empty inside, as if something were missing. There were many moments that I tried to fit in with the patterns of 'normality' that people are used to but in the end I understood that there is nothing wrong with me and that I do not need to look like anyone or be 'normal'. All my experiences have been building my character and have turned me into the human being that I am today and I am grateful for it. Swimming has made me feel empowered and has helped me to love myself. I now love every part of my body and wearing swimsuits. I feel beautiful. I also have friends who love me just as I am." (santodomingocorre.com, 09 Apr 2020; paralympics.org, 12 Mar 2021) OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2023 she became a membership programmes coordinator at the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] in Bonn, Germany. She has also done speaking engagements, including a graduation speech at Santo Domingo Institute of Technology in 2020, and has been invited to give a TEDx talk. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; LinkedIn profile, 30 Mar 2024; General Anzeiger, 06 Feb 2024; paralympics.org, 12 Mar 2021) FURTHER EDUCATION She has a master's degree in sports management from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. (Athlete, 29 Aug 2024; LinkedIn profile, 30 Mar 2024; General Anzeiger, 06 Feb 2024)