Oct 3, 2008 6:45 pm US/Eastern
Jessica Long Overcomes Adversity To Earn The Gold
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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The U.S. sent 121 athletes to the Paralympics in Beijing in 21 sports. In swimming, a Maryland teenager brought home the gold four times over, a silver and a bronze.
Maryland athletes brought home gold in the Olympics and also in the Paralympics.
The Paralympics don't, in this country, get the same coverage as the Olympics. The athletes are equally accomplished, but they all have physical disabilities.
They competed in Beijing, in the same facilities, immediately following the Olympics.
Denise Koch reports 124 countries sent athletes to the Paralympics.
The U.S. sent 121 athletes in 21 sports. In swimming, a Maryland teenager brought home the gold four times over, a silver and a bronze.
Her name is Jessica Long, and she's only 16.
Jessica dives for freedom. In the water, she says, she is free.
"Every Sunday we went to my grandparents' house, and I would always swim in there," said Jessica. "I'm free in the water."
In the six years she's been swimming competitively, she's won literally too many medals to list.
She won seven gold medals at two Paralympics, the first at the age of 12. She's broken 33 American records, 15 world and 18 Pan American.
She just won the prestigious Sullivan Award for a burgeoning athlete, and she's done it doing something she loves.
That Jessica is able to be in the pool in Baltimore County is itself almost a miracle.
Steve Long and his wife adopted her from an orphanage in Siberia when she was 13-months-old.
She had malformed lower legs and within five months had to have a double amputation.
But that didn't stop her as a child.
"I don't want to be held back at all," said Jessica.
"She's determined, she's never discouraged, she's pretty amazing, inspiring," said Andrew Barranco.
Out of the water, she's equally inspiring. She's competed at rock-climbing and even excelled at the extremity games.
Jessica looks forward to participating in the World Championships in two years as well as the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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