Para Swimming Roundup: A Memorable Weekend For Team USA At Para Pan Pacs

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by Karen Price, Red Line Editorial

What’s new in the world of U.S. Para swimming? Find out in this month’s Para Swimming Roundup!


We scour the web for the latest news and updates from Team USA stars and the wider world of Para swimming.


Para Pan Pacs Roundup

The Para Pan Pacific Championships in Walnut Grove, California, brought Team USA athletes the chance to gain valuable experience, get a taste of racing outdoors with LA28 just two years out and test themselves in a big international competition on home turf.


It also brought some of them some cold hard cash.


The meet launched Paralympian Ali Truwit’s Stronger Than You Think Performance Incentive Fund, rewarding price money to Americans who placed first, second or third and/or broke a world record. Katie Kubiak, Leanne Smith and Evan Wilkerson each lowered a world record during the three days of racing, highlighting a weekend that saw U.S. swimmers turn in a string of record-setting performances.

Here’s a shot of Smith and Kubiak posing with their bonuses from Truwit’s foundation

And here Smith is talking with teammate Olivia Chambers about her record in the 100-meter freestyle S3, dealing with the heat and what it’s like to hold those big giant checks:

Kubiak Shines

Kubiak continues to put the world on notice leading up to LA28, and on day one of the meet she broke three records, including one world. She started off by smashing the American mark in the women’s 100-meter freestyle S5, then set a new world record in the women’s 50-meter butterfly, in which she took nearly a second off the previous mark with a time of 37.21 seconds. She finished it off with an American record in the 200-meter freestyle, breaking the old mark by 22 seconds.


Here she is talking about it with teammate Grace Nuhfer:

Here’s her interview with Team USA:

And here she is with the big fat check from Stronger Than You Think:

She followed it up with this post:


“1 World Record | 5 American Records | 3 Golds | 1 Silver | 1 5th place finish


“Para Pan Pacs was an absolute dream. I have been, and continue to be, overwhelmed in the best way imaginable. This season has been one of change, and every day I’ve been working to find new ways to rise to the challenge. To see that pay off this weekend puts the daily sacrifice into perspective.”


Read the whole thing here:

The Wilkerson Double

Wilkerson  actually set the men’s 100-meter backstroke S11 once in the morning and then again during the final. Chambers caught up with him on the pool deck to talk about the big win:

You also don’t want to miss seeing how Wilkerson’s guide dog, Olivia, got to celebrate his record!

And About Those Big Checks…..

Truwit’s foundation, which also funds prosthetics for women and girls and swimming and water safety education, provided $500,000 to launch the performance incentive fund. Here’s the 2024 Paralympian — who broke her own American record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke S10 over the weekend — talking about kicking off the performance fund after day one:

And you can read more about the fund and Truwit’s story here.


Brad Is back!

Three-time Paralympian Brad Snyder announced he was returning to competition earlier this year, and the six-time gold medalist was on deck at Para Pan Pacs talking about his comeback and his why:

Interviewer Becomes Interviewee

These days Nuhfer and Chambers do a lot of the interviewing as part of their podcast, “Optical Delusions,” as well as their frequent check-ins from on deck. This time, Chambers was the one answering the questions as Nuhfer asked her all about her American record in the 100-meter breaststroke SB12:

Mixing In Some Fun

Showing that it’s not ALL work and no play when the members of Team USA get together, here are some behind the scenes captures from Lizzi Smith:

There was (at least one) trip to a nearby coffee shop:

And check out Chambers and Nuhfer playing guess the number, swimmer’s edition:

Summer Schmit and Mei White also filmed a couple dance scenes with a nod to the late, great Dolly Parton and another to the setting for the competition (and LA28):

With The Highs Come Some Lows

U23 team member Kenley Teller didn’t sugarcoat it. She didn’t have the meet she wanted. But her attitude still sparkled through with her post:


“Although this meet wasn’t everything I wanted I had the most fun with the best people! Plateaus aren’t something anyone can prepare you for and as mentally challenging as it is I will get through this!!! Thankful for everyone who made this meet special 🤍”

Congratulations Jessica and Taylor!

Team USA has had not one but two expectants moms throughout the year, and in August both Jessica Long and Taylor Winnett welcomed their little ones to the world!


Long announced the arrival of her twins:


“Meet Lyle Fyodor Winters + Rhodes Lev Winters. Both 6 lbs, 2 oz and 19 inches long. Born August 10th.


“We could not be more in love 🤍”

And Winnett gave her joyful update just before the month was out:


“The best day of our lives so far! We are overjoyed to share the birth of our daughter Lily! The three of us are thriving and so in love❣️”

She also posted from the day they came home from the hospital — and baby Lily’s first swim meet livestream as mama kept tabs on what her teammates were doing in California!

And Speaking Of Mamas…

O.G. Mallory Weggemann spoke with Team USA about her dreams for LA28 when her daughter will be 5 and old enough to experience and remember being at the Paralympics and cheering her mom on as they pursue their family goals on home soil:

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.