ABILENE, TEXAS - Monroe alumna Jess Weeden once labeled herself retired as a swimmer.
She turned down swimming scholarships to attend Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.
Now she is being called back to the pool and the sport that she has lived for since she was 6. Weeden is one of 24 swimmers who will head to Coimbra, Portugal in July for the World Deaf Swimming Championships.
"It was a tough choice to turn down scholarships to swim and come here," Weeden said of her decision to attend Abilene Christian University and major in psychology pre-medicine. "But I trusted that God had a bigger plan than just swimming. I'm glad I did too."
Deaf athletes are not supported by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Weeden has to raise $4,500 by June to make the trip. The money will be used to cover airfare from Washington D.C. to Portugal, uniforms for opening and closing ceremonies, accommodations and meals.
Weeden's inability to hear has been a challenge in and out of the pool. Her parents found out about her hearing loss when she was 3. She was enrolled into early childhood invention programs in the Monroe School District. She started learning speech reading, sign language instruction and vocabulary comprehension skills.
"I have learned that having a disability doesn't mean I'm disabled; it just means that I have to give a little more and that anything is possible if I want it bad enough," Weeden said.
She also enrolled in a dance class that she credits for building her self confidence.
"I just dreamed of being able to hear like other girls," Weeden said. "I dreamed of a day when medical science would invent replacement nerve hairs for implantation into the cochlear. I dreamed of a day when I would better be able to understand the spoken word."
But swimming has opened doors for Weeden. She started swimming for the Monroe Area Swim Team when she was 6. She then swam for the Green County YMCA and in 2004 joined the Verona Aquatic Club. Throughout high school, she would wake up at 4:15 a.m. to get ready to be in Madison for swimming practice at 6 a.m. After practice, she would eat breakfast in the car and was off to high school. After school, she would work on her homework in the car on the way to Madison for afternoon swimming practice. She would finish at practice and eat and complete homework in the car on the way home.
Weeden gave up swimming to focus on her psychology pre-medicine major as a freshman. She missed swimming by September so she jumped at the opportunity to be a swimming coach for a children's swimming team in Abilene, Texas.
"If you have a good group of kids, regardless of ages, your team becomes your family," she said. "Cliché, yes, but true. That was the hardest part about the transitions that I made to other teams in my swimming career."
In 2009, Weeden, qualified for the Deaflympic team, which was in Taiwan. Weeden broke the American record in the 50 breaststroke and took bronze. She swam 12 events in six days and finished top eight in all but two. She recalls the venue for the 50 breaststroke being changed to a hotel where there were no food accommodations and without any Western food options. Before swimming the 50 breaststroke, she had pringles and pumpkin seeds.
"That event taught me that there is nothing that I can do on my own," Weeden said. "It was a pure miracle that I won the bronze. Knowing that God works when we are weak carried over to the rest of my life. That first day of the Deaflympics where I swam the 50 breaststrokes and got the first medal for the United States wasn't necessarily my greatest achievement but it marked a change in my attitude towards the sport."
In 2007, Weeden represented the U.S. at the World Deaf Championships in Taipei, Taiwan. She placed in the top eight in six events. She recalls packing peanut butter sandwiches during the World Deaf Championships in Taiwan fearing she wouldn't like the food. Now she is looking forward to experiencing the food and architecture that Portugal has to offer.
Now she is focused on competing in the World Deaf Championships again.
"Getting two medals last time was amazing so I would like to see what happens this time," Weeden said. "My goal is to stand on the medal stand for at least two events and place top eight in my other events."
She turned down swimming scholarships to attend Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.
Now she is being called back to the pool and the sport that she has lived for since she was 6. Weeden is one of 24 swimmers who will head to Coimbra, Portugal in July for the World Deaf Swimming Championships.
"It was a tough choice to turn down scholarships to swim and come here," Weeden said of her decision to attend Abilene Christian University and major in psychology pre-medicine. "But I trusted that God had a bigger plan than just swimming. I'm glad I did too."
Deaf athletes are not supported by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Weeden has to raise $4,500 by June to make the trip. The money will be used to cover airfare from Washington D.C. to Portugal, uniforms for opening and closing ceremonies, accommodations and meals.
Weeden's inability to hear has been a challenge in and out of the pool. Her parents found out about her hearing loss when she was 3. She was enrolled into early childhood invention programs in the Monroe School District. She started learning speech reading, sign language instruction and vocabulary comprehension skills.
"I have learned that having a disability doesn't mean I'm disabled; it just means that I have to give a little more and that anything is possible if I want it bad enough," Weeden said.
She also enrolled in a dance class that she credits for building her self confidence.
"I just dreamed of being able to hear like other girls," Weeden said. "I dreamed of a day when medical science would invent replacement nerve hairs for implantation into the cochlear. I dreamed of a day when I would better be able to understand the spoken word."
But swimming has opened doors for Weeden. She started swimming for the Monroe Area Swim Team when she was 6. She then swam for the Green County YMCA and in 2004 joined the Verona Aquatic Club. Throughout high school, she would wake up at 4:15 a.m. to get ready to be in Madison for swimming practice at 6 a.m. After practice, she would eat breakfast in the car and was off to high school. After school, she would work on her homework in the car on the way to Madison for afternoon swimming practice. She would finish at practice and eat and complete homework in the car on the way home.
Weeden gave up swimming to focus on her psychology pre-medicine major as a freshman. She missed swimming by September so she jumped at the opportunity to be a swimming coach for a children's swimming team in Abilene, Texas.
"If you have a good group of kids, regardless of ages, your team becomes your family," she said. "Cliché, yes, but true. That was the hardest part about the transitions that I made to other teams in my swimming career."
In 2009, Weeden, qualified for the Deaflympic team, which was in Taiwan. Weeden broke the American record in the 50 breaststroke and took bronze. She swam 12 events in six days and finished top eight in all but two. She recalls the venue for the 50 breaststroke being changed to a hotel where there were no food accommodations and without any Western food options. Before swimming the 50 breaststroke, she had pringles and pumpkin seeds.
"That event taught me that there is nothing that I can do on my own," Weeden said. "It was a pure miracle that I won the bronze. Knowing that God works when we are weak carried over to the rest of my life. That first day of the Deaflympics where I swam the 50 breaststrokes and got the first medal for the United States wasn't necessarily my greatest achievement but it marked a change in my attitude towards the sport."
In 2007, Weeden represented the U.S. at the World Deaf Championships in Taipei, Taiwan. She placed in the top eight in six events. She recalls packing peanut butter sandwiches during the World Deaf Championships in Taiwan fearing she wouldn't like the food. Now she is looking forward to experiencing the food and architecture that Portugal has to offer.
Now she is focused on competing in the World Deaf Championships again.
"Getting two medals last time was amazing so I would like to see what happens this time," Weeden said. "My goal is to stand on the medal stand for at least two events and place top eight in my other events."
