Leanne Smith

Started: She began swimming in 2014 as part of an aquatic rehabilitation session recommended by her physiotherapist. "Admittedly, when he suggested this form of therapy, I almost fell out of my wheelchair. I had envisioned sports such as handcycling or wheelchair basketball. Nonetheless, he convinced me to try swimming and this is where my journey begins." (patients.aan.com, 01 Feb 2014; gofundme.com, 13 Oct 2013) Reason: She took up swimming as a way of getting back into more physical activity. "The sense of freedom was exhilarating, and one I had not experienced in such a long time. I quickly fell in love with being in the water." (patients.aan.com, 01 Feb 2014) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (nbcsports.com, 05 Oct 2023) Additional Info: RETURNING HOME In 2017 she became a resident athlete at the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center [OPTC] in Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America. In 2022 she returned to her hometown of Beverly, Massachusetts. "Looking back, it's really cool to see what Beverly does to bring the community together at such a young age and how those grassroots organisations helped shape me into the person that I am today. I lived in Colorado for five years while training at OPTC, and I didn't get the same sense of connection to the community out there. I think in coming back, it just felt so right. It's always been nice to come back and feel the warm embrace, regardless of if I've been gone for a month, or if I've been gone for a year or three years or five years. It's something that is really special about the community here in Beverly. There's always someone waiting to welcome you back with open arms and cheer you along, whether it's due to the hard times or the best time." (nbcsports.com, 05 Oct 2023; teamusa.com, 16 Jun 2022) GYMNASTICS She was previously a competitive gymnast at the YMCA of the North Shore in Beverly, MA, United States of America. "The biggest organisation that I've been involved with was the North Shore YMCA. I started there in 2003 as a competitive gymnast when I transferred from a private club. It was everyone's second home at that point at the level we were training, but just the embrace from the coaches and other gymnasts, there was something that I hadn't encountered in that private club atmosphere. I am a very competitive person, gymnastics definitely instilled that in me. It's a value I carry through in every aspect of life, inside or outside the pool." (nbcsports.com, 05 Oct 2023; salemnews.com, 30 Aug 2021, 09 May 2015)