SMITH Elizabeth

United States of America
Swimming
26 Jun 1996
25
Female
S9
MUNCIE, IN
 
United States of America
AUSTIN, TX
 
United States of America

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
SWM Swimming Women's 100m Backstroke - S9 5
Women's 100m Butterfly - S9 2 Silver Medal

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Backstroke - S9 Heat 2
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Backstroke - S9 Final
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Butterfly - S9 Heat 2
Finished
Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Women's 100m Butterfly - S9 Final
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
RankEventYearLocationResult
Paralympic Games
24x100m Freestyle Relay - 34 Points2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA4:20.10
34x100m Medley Relay - 34 Points2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA4:50.34
4100m Butterfly - S92016Rio de Janeiro, BRA1:09.22
5100m Backstroke - S92016Rio de Janeiro, BRA1:14.48
950m Freestyle - S92016Rio de Janeiro, BRA30.18
10200m Individual Medley - SM92016Rio de Janeiro, BRA2:40.95
World Championships
24x100m Freestyle Relay - 34 Points2019London, GBR4:24.60
24x100m Medley Relay - 34 Points2019London, GBR4:58.39
3100m Backstroke - S92019London, GBR1:12.64
3100m Butterfly - S92019London, GBR1:08.12
3100m Backstroke - S92013Montreal, QC, CAN1:15.91
34x100m Freestyle Relay - 34 Points2013Montreal, QC, CAN4:35.95
450m Freestyle - S92019London, GBR29.51
44x100m Medley Relay - 34 Points2015Glasgow, GBR4:57.43
5100m Backstroke - S92015Glasgow, GBR1:12.95
5100m Butterfly - S92015Glasgow, GBR1:10.60
7100m Freestyle - S92015Glasgow, GBR1:05.92
7100m Butterfly - S92013Montreal, QC, CAN1:15.18
9100m Freestyle - S92019London, GBR1:05.53
1050m Freestyle - S92013Montreal, QC, CAN31.91
11100m Freestyle - S92013Montreal, QC, CAN1:10.43
1250m Freestyle - S92015Glasgow, GBR30.68
DSQ4x100m Medley Relay - 34 Points2013Montreal, QC, CANDSQ
:
Lizzi (Twitter profile, 20 Mar 2020)
:
Athlete, Coach, Graphical Design, Student
:
Computing - DeVry University, Austin, TX, USA
:
English
:
Western Hills Athletic Club [Austin, TX, USA]
:
Ian Crocker [personal], USA, from 2018
:
She joined her first swim team at age seven in Muncie, IN, United States of America. She took up Para sport at age 11. (indystar.com, 04 Apr 2019; fikeswim.com, 01 Nov 2016)
:
She was inspired to try the sport after watching a television show about US Para swimmer Jessica Long. However, she did not initially enjoy the sport. "Fifteen minutes into my first practice, I quit. The following season my parents bribed me with pizza to give it another shot. I've been swimming ever since." (indystar.com, 04 Apr 2019; fikeswim.com, 01 Nov 2016)
:
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (myswimpro.com, 31 Mar 2020)
:
In addition to her swim training, she also does running, belly dancing and core work with weights. She follows YouTube belly dancing tutorials every morning, and believes the skills it teaches will help improve her hip position when swimming butterfly. (myswimpro.com, 31 Mar 2020)
:
Spanish Para swimmer Sarai Gascon Moreno. (teamusa.org, 08 Jun 2017)
:
Her parents, her siblings [she is one of eight], and coach Ian Crocker. (myswimpro.com, 31 Mar 2020)
:
"Inclusion to me is like a swim meet. I show up on race day with my meticulously rehearsed race plan, a lane, and a goal. My competitors share the same goal - to be faster than they were yesterday. They don't know, care, or notice that I have a disability. I am my ability. All I need is the opportunity to see how fast I can go." (Instagram profile, 09 Mar 2021)

General Interest

Classification
S9, SB9, SM9 (IPC, 23 Mar 2021)

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (thestarpress.com, 01 Aug 2013)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (teamusa.org, 08 Jun 2017)

Impairment Details
She was born without her left forearm due to amniotic band syndrome. (indystar.com, 04 Apr 2019; thestarpress.com, 01 Aug 2013)

General
BODY IMAGE POSITIVITY
For years she said she had felt insecure about her limb difference, especially when appearing in photos, but over time she learned to accept it and not be concerned with other people's perceptions of her. "A fear that I've had ever since I can remember is that I make people uncomfortable with my limb difference. Countless times I've hid my body for people. I'm changing the narrative. Your stares and negative reactions make me uncomfortable. I'll work as hard as I can to do my part to make sure no more little kids see their limb difference represented through media as horror." (Instagram profile, 01 Dec 2020)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She works as a swimming coach at the Western Hills Athletic Club in Austin, TX, United States of America. She also works as a freelance graphic designer, and has created cap designs for a swimming equipment company, as well as logos and web designs for her teammates. After her swimming career, she said she wants to focus on her design career and remain involved with swimming through coaching. (Instagram profile, 09 Mar 2021; myswimpro.com, 31 Mar 2020; Austin American-Statesman YouTube channel, 17 Sep 2019; indystar.com, 04 Apr 2019)

NATIONWIDE TRIP
After competing in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she took a six-month trip through the United States of America, visiting 48 states and covering more than 50,000km, and ultimately decided to settle in Austin, Texas, in 2018. "There are a lot of circumstances that just don't go how you planned. I fell in love [with Austin]. What's cool about Austin is you're allowed and encouraged to be yourself, which is probably going to be weird. Sometimes I receive a little backlash where people will be like, 'Why?' The culture in Austin is not to do that. If people see you do something differently, they ask questions. You're encouraged, and when you're encouraged, you thrive." (statesman.com, 18 Sep 2019; indystar.com, 04 Apr 2019)

Legend
:
Silver Medal
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos