Rebecca Meyers

Rebecca Meyers (born November 20, 1994, in Baltimore[1]) is a Paralympic swimmer of the United States.[2] She won three gold and one silver medals in Rio 2016. She was also a member of the 2012 Paralympic Team, and won a silver and bronze in London.[3] Rebecca Meyers has also competed at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Taiwan, which is also her only appearance at the Deaflympics.[4][5] She also clinched a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event in the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.[6]

Rebecca Meyers
Meyers during a visit to the Maryland State House in July 2021
Personal information
Nickname(s)Becca
Born (1994-11-20) 20 November 1994
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
WebsiteMeyers on teamusa.org
Sport
Country USA
SportParalympic swimming
Disability classS12
ClubNation's Capital Swim Club
Medal record
Women's Swimming
Representing the  United States
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 3 2 1
Deaflympics 0 0 1
Total 3 2 2
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m freestyle S13
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m butterfly S13
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m medley SM13
Silver medal – second place2012 London 200 m medley SM13
Silver medal – second place2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle S13
Bronze medal – third place2012 London 100 m freestyle S13
Deaflympics
Bronze medal – third place2009 Taipei4×200m freestyle relay

Biography

Meyers has Usher syndrome and has been deaf since she was born.[7] Since she was young she has used a cochlear implant, an electronic device that allows her to hear.[8] Meyers is also losing her vision to a disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and has a Seeing Eye dog named Birdie, who helps her navigate the world.[9]

In 2015 and 2017, Meyers received a Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award.[10] She won gold in record time at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[11]

She grew up in Baltimore, attended Notre Dame Prep and went on to graduate from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where she studied history with a concentration in Disability Studies. She was a club swimmer with Loyola Blakefield Aquatics for eleven years. In 2012, she joined North Baltimore Aquatic Club where Michael Phelps trained. Becca then switched to Nation's Capital Swim Club located in Bethesda, MD, where she trains under Bruce Gemmell, Katie Ledecky's coach.[12] She holds multiple world records in the S13 and S12 classes.

In June 2021 the US announced the 34 Paralympic swimmers who would be going to the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. The women's team was Meyers, Jessica Long, McKenzie Coan, Elizabeth Marks and Mallory Weggemann.[13] On July 20, 2021, Meyers withdrew from the Paralympics after being denied her request for a personal care assistant due to reduced allocation of staff members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

International

2019: London, England World Para Swimming Championships

  • 1 gold medal: 400M Freestyle
  • 1 silver medal: 200M Individual Medley
  • 2 bronze medal: 100M Freestyle and 100M Butterfly
  • Set 2 World Records: 400M Freestyle and 200M Individual Medley
  • Set 5 American Records: 400M Freestyle, 200M Individual Medley, 100M Freestyle, 50M Freestyle, and 100M Breaststroke

[15]

2017: Mexico City, Mexico World Para Swimming Championships

  • 1 gold medal: 400M Freestyle
  • 2 silver medals: 100M Butterfly and 100M Freestyle
  • 1 bronze medal: 100M breastroke

[16]

2015: Glasgow, Scotland IPC Swimming World Championships

  • 2 gold medals: 200M Individual Medley and 400M Freestyle
  • 1 silver medal: 100M Butterfly
  • Set 2 world records in the S13 classification: 200M Individual Medley and 400M Freestyle[17][18]

2014: Pasadena, California Pan Pac Para-Swimming Championships

  • 4 gold medals: 100M Butterfly, 100M Freestyle, 400M Freestyle, and 200M Individual Medley
  • 2 silver medals: 100M Breaststroke and 50M Freestyle
  • Set 2 world record in the S13 classification: 200M Individual Medley and 400M Freestyle[19][20]

2013: Montreal, Canada IPC Swimming World Championships

  • 2 gold medals: 200M Individual Medley and 400M Freestyle
  • 2 silver medals: 100M Butterfly and 100M Freestyle[21]

2011: Coimbra, Portugal 3rd World Deaf Swimming Championships

  • 4 gold medals: 200M Freestyle, 400M Freestyle, 800M Freestyle, and 4x200M Freestyle Relay
  • Set world record in the 4x200M Freestyle Relay
  • Set deaf world championship record in 800M Freestyle[22][23]

2009 Deaflympics Taipei, Taiwan

  • Bronze medal in the 4x200M Freestyle Relay
  • Set American record in the 4x200M Freestyle Relay[24]

Awards and honors

2017:

  • ESPN ESPY award winner: Best Female Athlete with a Disability[25]
  • Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year Nominee.[26]

2016:

  • Trischa Zorn Award presented by USA Swimming[27]
  • Team USA Finalist: Female Athlete of the Paralympic Games[28]
  • NCAA DIII Swimming and Diving Championships: placed 6th overall in the 1650y freestyle; named to the All-America Team[29]

2015:

  • ESPN ESPY award winner Best Female Athlete with a Disability[30]
  • Team USA Female Paralympic Athlete of the Year Finalist[31]

2011

  • USADF Sportsperson of the Year presented by USA Deaf Sports Federation[32]

See also

References
  1. "Rebecca Meyers". Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  2. "(Video Interview) Rebecca Meyers Uses Paralympic Trials Victories as Indicator for Rio". 2 July 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  3. "Rebecca Meyers". Team USA. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  4. "London's hometown heroes: Rebecca Meyers". Team USA. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  5. "Rebecca Meyers | Deaflympics". www.deaflympics.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  6. "4×200m freestyle relay | 2009 Summer Deaflympics". www.deaflympics.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  7. Sun, Baltimore (14 July 2015). "Timonium para-swimmer Becca Meyers has can-do mantra, 'enormous' heart -- and an ESPY nomination". Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  8. "Athlete Bio". Archived from the original on 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-07-03. Retrieved 2016-11-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Principe, Pat. "Meet the local swimmer who won an ESPY award!". Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  11. "Baltimore's Meyers sets world record to win Paralympic gold". Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  12. "3-Time Paralympic Gold Medalist Becca Meyers Joining Nation's Capital Swim Club".
  13. "United States name 34 swimmers on Tokyo 2020 Paralympic team". www.insidethegames.biz. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  14. Gibson, Charlotte (July 20, 2021). "Deaf-blind swimmer Becca Meyers is denied personal care assistant, withdraws from Tokyo Paralympics". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  15. "London 2019 - Schedule and Results".
  16. "Mexico City 2017 - Swimming Live Results". Archived from the original on 2018-03-22. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  17. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2016-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "Glasgow 2015 Schedule & Results - IPC Swimming". Archived from the original on 2016-11-09. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  19. "Para Pan Pacs: Day 5 Records and Final Wrap-Up". SwimSwam. August 12, 2014. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  20. "Results". Team USA. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  21. "Live Results - 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships Montreal". Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  22. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2016-11-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2016-11-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. "Athletes | Deaflympics". Archived from the original on 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  25. "Full list of 2017 ESPYS winners". ESPN.com. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  26. reserved, © 2019 Women's Sports Foundation All rights. "Sportswoman of the Year 2018 | Women's Sports Foundation". Sportswoman of the Year. Archived from the original on 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  27. "USA Swimming - Katie Ledecky Claims Fourth Straight USA Swimming Athlete of the Year Honor". September 27, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-27.
  28. "Team USA Awards". Team USA. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  29. "F&M's Becca Meyers Heads for Gold in Rio". www.fandm.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  30. "Wambach, U.S. team close ESPYS triumphantly". ESPN.com. July 15, 2015. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  31. "Meet The Nominees For Team USA's Best Of The Year Awards". Team USA. Archived from the original on 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  32. "Titus and Meyers Selected as 2011 Sportspersons of the Year". February 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
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