Utah Teen Chloe Cederholm Has The ‘Craziest Goal Ever,’ But Suddenly It’s ‘Not Impossible’

There’s a phrase that one of Chloe Cederholm’s coaches likes to use: Find a way.

It’s simple and direct, and it’s a motto the 13-year-old swimmer plans to use as she chases her Paralympic dream over these next few months.

“I really want to go to Paris this year,” the seventh grader from Salt Lake City said. “I’ve wanted to go to Paris in general since I was super young. My favorite Disney movie is ‘Ratatouille,’ and when I found out the next Games were in Paris I was like, oh my gosh, that would be so cool to watch. Now, with a lot of work, I could maybe make it there. It sounds like the craziest goal ever, but I’m still going to go for it because it’s not impossible to try.”

It may not be as crazy as she thinks.

U.S. Paralympics Swimming director Erin Popovich says Cederholm is 13 going on 30. She turned 13 just one week before going to Santiago, Chile, to compete in the 2023 Parapan American Games in November, where she was not only the youngest member of Team USA but one of the three youngest athletes competing in the multi-sport international event, period. 

“She’s a very tenacious, fun, spirited young lady,” Popovich said. “But I’ll be honest and say I was blown away by her performance in the pool (in Santiago). She has a can-do attitude and she’s fearless, which would also be one of her favorite songs by Taylor Swift. But it was really exciting to see not only how she performed but the maturity and execution of her races was really exciting to watch.”

Cederholm’s been swimming since she was 4 years old. She was born with a rare genetic disorder called McCune-Albright syndrome, which causes fibrous dysplasia. Her hips aren’t aligned and easily pop out of place, her bones are susceptible to breakage and she deals with pain on a daily basis. Because of how the disorder impacts her hips, Cederholm found herself being disqualified in her races before finding Para swimming and getting nationally classified for the first time in 2021. But in addition to being a competitive, active outlet, swimming has also helped her build muscle and strength.

“Every time I got in the water it felt like a healing place for my legs,” she said. “It does hurt sometimes to do, but it’s been really great. When I’m in the water, it feels like my home.”

Her first race at the Parapan Am Games was the 200-meter individual medley SM10. She won the bronze medal, sharing the podium with gold medalist and teammate Taylor Winnett. Their hug afterward, Cederholm said, is one of her favorite memories of the entire event.

“I remember when I finished my 200 IM and I looked at the time and oh my gosh, I was so happy because I realized that all the work I’d done had finally paid off,” Cederholm said. “I was really happy about that because it hadn’t really been showing before. I’d been doing everything in my power to get better and not dropping time, and that got me a little down and a little worried about the meet. And then when Taylor hugged me, she started tearing up a little and then I was about to start tearing up and I was like, ‘Taylor, you cannot do that because I do not cry pretty.’”

Cederholm also won silver in the 100-meter backstroke S10 — her favorite event — and finished fifth in the 400-meter freestyle S10. But she said her favorite part was just being in an environment where everyone had a goal and everyone was competing, but they also supported one another and were always there to help.

For instance, when Cederholm lost her brand-new phone — a birthday present — after she fell asleep and figured it fell out on the bus following the Opening Ceremony, everyone was great about making sure she could get in touch with her mom and receive all the daily emails and other important information from coaches and staff.

“She’s an independent kid, but it was also so nice to know there were so many eyes watching her,” said her mom, Katie Cederholm. “She had a village behind her, and it was amazing to see that.”

As Popovich pointed out, Cederholm is so young that even if she doesn’t make it to Paris in 2024, there’s always Los Angeles in 2028 — and she’ll still be a minor at the time of those Games.

Maybe there will even be trips to both. 

“This year I’m going to see if I can find a way to get to Paris,” Cederholm said. “Hopefully it works out.” 

Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic and Paralympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to USParaSwimming.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.