MONROE - Jess Weeden has made a career out of swimming, competing on Team USA in the World Deaf Championships. And now she's a bit of a YouTube sensation.
Weeden, a Monroe alumna, was nominated for the Outstanding Service award, after she and Will Landgren of Roseville, Ill. developed a video application on sign language for swimmers and coaches. The sign-language application was designed in a You-Tube format and is now posted in the disability swimming section of the USA website.
The video includes about 100 signs that incorporate different areas of the sport.
"For something we thought was minor, it has quite a few hits on You Tube," Weeden said. "I'm sure there are people who have done more for the sport than our simple video."
She was inspired to do the project after several coaches started contacting USA Swimming seeking information on how to work with deaf athletes.
"They were never really given helpful answers so my mom thought it would be convenient to have a visual of the basic signs that coaches can use," Weeden said.
Weeden said she plans on making another You Tube video next Christmas for USA Swimming - an instructional video on working with disabled athletes, and streamlining them into a team to achieve maximum success.
Weeden, in 2009, qualified for the Deaflympic team, which was in Taiwan, where she broke the American record in the 50 breaststroke and took home a bronze medal. Then in July, she competed on the USA team at the World Deaf Championships. The U.S. won a record 22 medals at the World Deaf Swimming Championships, which is more than the team had netted, combined, in all their previous meets.
Weeden finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke and broke the American record from 1981. She took seventh in the 50 breaststroke and seventh in the 200 breaststroke. Weeden was a member of the medley relay team that won bronze and broke an American record and the freestyle relay that finished fourth.
Marcus Titus, who is training for the London Olympics won nine of the 22 medals for the U.S. and he was named the male swimmer of the meet and FINA High Point swimmer.
"Everyone swam well and we had some awesome, high stress swims," Weeden said.
Weeden was the second oldest girl on the USA team.
"In my blog I talked a little about being a 'team mom'," she said. "That was pretty rewarding. While I was old on the USA team, compared to the rest of the world I was young. That was interesting to sort out. The Belarusian women that always seem to dominate the breaststroke events were 25-33."
Weeden, a Monroe alumna, was nominated for the Outstanding Service award, after she and Will Landgren of Roseville, Ill. developed a video application on sign language for swimmers and coaches. The sign-language application was designed in a You-Tube format and is now posted in the disability swimming section of the USA website.
The video includes about 100 signs that incorporate different areas of the sport.
"For something we thought was minor, it has quite a few hits on You Tube," Weeden said. "I'm sure there are people who have done more for the sport than our simple video."
She was inspired to do the project after several coaches started contacting USA Swimming seeking information on how to work with deaf athletes.
"They were never really given helpful answers so my mom thought it would be convenient to have a visual of the basic signs that coaches can use," Weeden said.
Weeden said she plans on making another You Tube video next Christmas for USA Swimming - an instructional video on working with disabled athletes, and streamlining them into a team to achieve maximum success.
Weeden, in 2009, qualified for the Deaflympic team, which was in Taiwan, where she broke the American record in the 50 breaststroke and took home a bronze medal. Then in July, she competed on the USA team at the World Deaf Championships. The U.S. won a record 22 medals at the World Deaf Swimming Championships, which is more than the team had netted, combined, in all their previous meets.
Weeden finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke and broke the American record from 1981. She took seventh in the 50 breaststroke and seventh in the 200 breaststroke. Weeden was a member of the medley relay team that won bronze and broke an American record and the freestyle relay that finished fourth.
Marcus Titus, who is training for the London Olympics won nine of the 22 medals for the U.S. and he was named the male swimmer of the meet and FINA High Point swimmer.
"Everyone swam well and we had some awesome, high stress swims," Weeden said.
Weeden was the second oldest girl on the USA team.
"In my blog I talked a little about being a 'team mom'," she said. "That was pretty rewarding. While I was old on the USA team, compared to the rest of the world I was young. That was interesting to sort out. The Belarusian women that always seem to dominate the breaststroke events were 25-33."
