Bethany Paige Zummo

Started: She began playing volleyball in 2005 at Fallon Middle School in Dublin, CA, United States of America. She got involved in sitting volleyball in her sophomore year at high school. (nays.org, 09 Sep 2016; teamusa.org, 01 Jan 2016) Reason: "I originally found out about the sitting volleyball team in seventh grade at my first standing tournament, and I really wasn't sure if I was interested in it. It took me a long time to feel enough pride in myself to be able to want to do adaptive sports but by my sophomore year of high school I was like, 'Maybe I could try this, maybe this could be really fun, maybe this could be something that helps me grow as a person'. I didn't start playing volleyball to become a Paralympian. I started playing volleyball because I wanted to play something, I wanted a challenge." (usavolleyball.org, 17 Sep 2018; nays.org, 09 Sep 2016) Awards: She was named Best Libero at the 2024 Women's Super 6 in Nancy, France. (usavolleyball.org, 16 Jun 2024) In 2024 she was inducted into the Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame in the United States of America. (pleasantonweekly.com, 30 May 2024) She was named Best Libero at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (pleasantonweekly.com, 30 May 2024; World ParaVolley Facebook page, 06 Sep 2021) She was named Best Libero at the 2019 World Super 6 event in Tokyo, Japan. (volleyballmag.com, 22 Nov 2019) She was named Best Libero at the 2018 World Championships in Arnhem, Netherlands. (teamusa.org, 22 Nov 2019) She was a member of the US national sitting volleyball team that was named the 2016 Paralympic Team of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee [USOC]. (teamusa.org, 01 Jan 2016) Additional Info: TOKYO EXPERIENCE She says that her mental health was impacted after she was exposed to COVID-19 in the lead-up to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and she sought help from a sports psychologist. She also experienced a panic attack during a match in Tokyo. "We really worked on giving me the tools to be mindful and just be here, because the anxiety is real. It was about putting an identity to what the actual fear is, and then just relinquishing control because I don't have any control over this situation [COVID-19]. We had China, [RPC] and us [in Pool B], and only two are making it out to even potentially medal. For the most part, we can put that away, we compartmentalise that. But when it creeps in, it's really hard to make it go away. In that third game, I started having panic attacks. Something that my trainer and I had talked about is ice, we just put ice on my forehead. It really helps me come back to the present. I was really proud of myself for getting out of that. That was the first time I've ever had a panic attack in a volleyball game." (paralympic.org, 11 Sep 2021) COVID-19 BUSINESS During the COVID-19 pandemic she started sewing fabric face masks with her family for people in their local area. She set up 'The Zummo Collective' for people to request the masks, which has since evolved into a small business making custom clothing and accessories, including wedding gowns, bags, and jewellery. "I've always sewn, I'm the old lady of the volleyball team. It's funny, we sit around the kitchen table in the evening and talk about how we've turned shelter-in-place into something purposeful and intentional. I learned from my grandma and my mom, but I feel like we've never really all sat down together and sewed. It's really fun and has turned this into something I didn't think it would be. The Zummo Collective was created to support the local community during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as building filtered cloth masks for those in need, evolved into a small business selling products which blend design and function." (zummocollective.co, 02 Apr 2021; teamusa.org, 06 May 2020) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied technical theatre and theatre design and technology at California State University in Hayward, CA, United States of America. (Facebook profile, 19 Mar 2020; LinkedIn profile, 01 Sep 2018)

Sporting Relatives: Her husband Fabricio Da Silva Pinto represented Brazil in sitting volleyball at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games. Her sisters Hailey and Megan have both played lacrosse for Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, CA, United States of America. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Jul 2024; paralympic.org, 01 Jan 2023; teamusa.org, 22 Nov 2019)