Unlike other adaptive sports such as sled hockey, cycling, or equestrian, adaptive swimming doesn’t require expensive equipment and is accessible in many places — including smaller towns. “Pretty much all you need is a swimsuit and a pair of goggles,” Dahlen says. “It’s a great way to increase your confidence in the water.”
Adaptive swimming programs are personalized to each swimmer’s needs, accommodating everything from disabilities present since birth to recent amputations and neck and spine injuries. “It’s about adapting the various swim strokes to fit each individual,” Dahlen says. “Once we figure that out, adaptive swimming can be a lifelong activity that you learn at any age.”
Most adaptive swimming programs focus on safety first. “The first sessions are largely spent floating to see what someone’s body is going to do when they end up in the deep end,” Dahlen says. “That could be going from a face-down to a face-up position, how to float on your back, or how to recover into a standing position. It can literally save your life.”
Once swimmers are safe in the pool, they can set individual goals. Dahlen notes that there is a huge range of opportunities for those interested in the sport, ranging from beginners to those wanting to pursue their own Paralympic glory.
“Adaptive swimming caters to really anyone and everyone,” she says. “Whether you want to learn how to swim or want to get into competition, there’s a program out there for you.”
She highlights the story of a woman recovering from a spinal cord injury.
“Being in the water allows her to move a little more freely than on land, to jump and bob and work different muscle groups,” Dahlen says. “To see her be able to complement her existing therapies through an adaptive swimming program, and for us to be able to provide that support, is a great reminder of why we do what we do.”
She recommends Move United as the first stop for those looking to start with adaptive swimming. The non-profit organization serves as a centralized location to discover adaptive sports programs all across the country.
Inside Paralympic swimming
The Paralympics are the final stop for adaptive swimmers who take their water skills to the highest level. The sport was one of the original eight in the first Paralympic Games in 1960. By 2024, the Paralympics grew to include 141 medal swimming events.
There are some similarities among Paralympians compared with able-bodied athletes in the Olympics. “The same swim strokes are featured across various distances, ranging from 50 meters to 400 meters,” Dahlen says.
You may also see people with varying visual impairments wearing black-out goggles to level the playing field or slight variations in the appearance of different strokes.
In the run-up to the Paralympics, swimmers are classified based on their abilities. There are 10 different classes for athletes with physical impairments, and no prostheses are allowed during competition.
“What’s unique with adaptive swimming is that you’ll see athletes with different impairments competing against each other,” Dahlen says. “The classification isn’t about the specific disability but rather the impact it has on swimming.”
