A University of Wyoming (UW) swimmer will compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris this August.
After his leg was amputated as a child, Jack O’Neil used swimming as physical therapy to recover from surgery.
Now, he’s the first swimmer who has a disability to be on the UW men’s swim team.
“I know my place as a disabled athlete and what I have to offer,” said O’Neil, “and so I’ve really made it a point the last three years – and definitely will this next year – to make sure that I pass down the things that I’ve learned and make this team full of better men along with better swimmers.”
O’Neil qualified for the Paralympic Games, a parallel competition to the Olympics focused on athletes who have physical disabilities, besting his competition in the 100 meter backstroke late last month.
O’Neil’s success at the Olympic Team Trials in Minneapolis came after three swimmers on the team died in a car crash in February, something he said rocked the whole team.
“Lee Slabber, Luke’s dad, reached out and he said, ‘Just know in Paris, Slabber will be with you, swimming there,’” O’Neil said.
A journalism major at UW, O’Neil said he hopes to go into the sports media industry after graduating.
Editor’s Note: Wyoming Public Radio is a licensee of the University of Wyoming, but its newsroom operates independently.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.