Taylor Hetrick, a member of the Malone University women's swimming and diving team and the current owner of several American paralympic records, was featured in the program at this year's NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. 

Blind since she was two months old, Taylor has excelled as a student-athlete at Malone and is currently working towards qualifying for the Paralympic Games.

The article, written by Leilana McKindra, appears in its entirety below.

To view the article as it actually appeared in the program (with pictures, etc), please click here.  (After clicking on the link, the article begins on Page 16)

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No Disability Here
 
Malone swimmer Taylor Hetrick hasn't let her blindness stop her in the pool
 
By Leilana McKindra
 
Malone University women's swimming student-athlete Taylor Hetrick has been blind since she was two months old. Now the freshman is proving that having vision has nothing to do with eyesight and everything to do with heart, passion and determination.
 
Hetrick began swimming at the age of 3, and within three to four short years, she showed so much promise that her instructors encouraged her to seek out a swim team. Since then, she has been on the fast track for success in the sport, and is currently in serious pursuit of a berth in a future Paralympic Games as a member of Team USA.
 
Her journey to swimming's biggest and brightest stage has led her to Malone, where the rising star has connected with a rising program that just finished its third season of existence and an institution in the second year of a three-year transition into NCAA Division II.
 
“It did kind of boil down to the swimming and really finding a coach that was willing to coach me,” said Hetrick in reflecting on how she ultimately chose the Canton, Ohio, campus of about 2,500 students. “Malone has a great Christian atmosphere. Brian (Peresie) is a great coach. Coming in I was a little nervous, but everything has worked out really well. Everyone is nice and I've made a lot of great friends. I really like it here.”
 
In Hetrick, the Pioneers have a gifted, hard-working, dedicated student-athlete with international experience and an owner of seven American records.
 
At a meet at Hiram in November of last year, she set three short course meter American paralympic records in the 100-meter freestyle (S11), 200-meter freestyle (S11) and 100-meter breaststroke (SB11).
 
That same month, she traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, to compete in the Parapan American Games, which is designed for athletes with disabilities and held every four years following every Pan American Games. There, Hetrick contested the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter breaststroke and the 400-meter freestyle.
 
The accolades and accomplishments aside, Malone head men's and women's swimming and diving coach Brian Peresie believes the program has attracted a great person poised to do great things both in and out of the pool.
 
“Taylor is an exceptional person. She is not someone who is defined by her disability,” he said.
 
In fact, Peresie recalled once asking Hetrick during the team's goal meeting at the beginning of the year if she ever wished or wanted to be able to see. The answer to the question was no, she had no desire to be able to see.
 
“I'm sure most people couldn't imagine not being able to see, yet this young lady is perfectly content with her world. She does not feel like she is special or different in any way and views herself as a friend, daughter, sister, teammate and student-athlete just as anyone else would,” he said.
 
Peresie admitted to his own bout with nerves initially. Before Hetrick, he had no experience working with athletes with disabilities, including sight-impaired swimmers. The first-year head coach said he prayed about extending an invitation to Hetrick to join the Pioneers, and ultimately felt God was leading him to open this door to her. Having the chance to watch her practice with her club team and meet her for the first time affirmed in his head and spirit that he'd made the right decision.
 
“Taylor is very excited to challenge herself in new ways. There's never been anything I've given her that she's said 'no way, I can't do that,' ” he said. “She's very passionate and driven toward doing well in the sport. She doesn't want to be just a participant; Taylor wants to excel. She brings a lot to the table, and we're glad to have her with us.”
 
There is a maxim that preparation is crucial to success, and a coach would know better than most the solid truth behind the sentiment. So, not surprisingly, Peresie reached out to other coaches with experience training swimmers who are blind. He also researched techniques and equipment that would aid Hetrick's progression.
 
For instance, when it comes to working in the weight room and during dry land training, the coach figured out that closing his eyes and performing the exercises and maneuvers helped him find the best ways of explaining them to Hetrick.
 
In the pool, the team uses a tapper — a long pole with a piece of foam attached to the end — to alert Hetrick when she is approaching the wall and needs to turn. (In Paralympic competition two tappers – one at each end – are required for swimmers who are completely blind.) Usually this task falls to the coaches who generally add a vocal cue as well.
 
Beyond providing a layer of protection from physical injury, Peresie said the tapper helps give Hetrick the incentive and confidence to go full out in practice and competition.
 
“One challenge for blind athletes, and especially for Taylor, is when they are pushing themselves to their limit, they need to have a lot of confidence and trust in their coach, because we're the ones telling them where the wall is,” Peresie said. “Taylor is very good in practice and actually knows her way around the pool very well. But when she starts pushing the envelope or trying to go faster, it's important she knows that someone is going to be there so she doesn't hold back.”
 
Ultimately, Hetrick has had a large — and positive — influence on Peresie's coaching style.
 
“In working with Taylor, I've had to change the way I coach in a good way,” he said. “It's really challenged my coaching and the way I coach.”
 
Initially, the rest of the team was on a learning curve as well — like Peresie, none of the Pioneers had had sight-impaired friends or teammates. Time and the fact that Hetrick is approachable, funny and supremely personable, has helped smooth the way, and, from Peresie's perspective, the squad truly enjoys having Hetrick, she commands a high level of respect and adds a positive chemistry and perspective that her fellow student-athletes recognize and appreciate.
 
Hetrick serves as a prime example of the idea that nothing in this world is a limitation, reason or excuse not to do or try something, and especially if there's a passion to accomplish it. Hetrick, Peresie said, lives that sentiment daily with her deeply rooted desire to not just compete, but to succeed as a swimmer.
 
“In the end, Taylor is no different than any of us,” he said. “She's been a wonderful blessing to those who have had a chance to meet her, be her teammate and work with her.”
 
The NCAA doesn't have a precise count of how many student-athletes with disabilities currently exist within its ranks. There are a few higher-profile examples like Hetrick and Anthony Robles, a 2011 NCAA national champion in wrestling at Arizona State. However, beyond that, one NCAA official believes the number is probably far greater than most realize.
 
“Disabilities can come in many different ways and in many cases it's not visually evident, and unless a student-athlete self-reports, it makes it difficult to pinpoint in terms of a specific number,” said Chris Ruckdaschel, NCAA assistant director of inclusion. “I think it would be eye-opening to realize that there are more individuals with a disability of some form — whether it's an education-impacting disability or a physical disability — who are competing at a very elite level.”
 
While these student-athletes may excel in relative obscurity now, the NCAA is actively seeking opportunities to raise awareness of their presence and the positive contributions they are making to athletics programs in all three NCAA divisions. The Association is accomplishing this aim in multiple ways.
 
Programming-wise, student-athletes with disabilities were among four areas of focus during the Association's first Inclusion Summit last fall. In addition to expert speakers and roundtable discussions, there also was a presidential panel sharing best practices for campuses.
 
Student-athletes with disabilities also will be a central topic of discussion during the NCAA's annual Equity and Inclusion Form April 29 through May 1 in New Orleans.
 
Additionally, the NCAA is working to elevate the visibility of student-athletes with disabilities within its governance structure through the formation of a subcommittee charged with focusing specifically on issues related to their wellbeing. The subcommittee, which is still being finalized, will be comprised of members from the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, and will incorporate presidential representation.
 
The increased attention and energy directed toward student-athletes with disabilities was sparked in part by the adoption of a new diversity and inclusion and gender equity framework by the NCAA Executive Committee in April 2010. While the framework isn't a definition, per se, Ruckdaschel said it is a strong indication that the issue is among the Association's key priorities.
 
“The framework talks about the NCAA wanting to be as inclusive as possible for coaches, student-athletes, coaches and administrators. It also provides specific examples, including areas such as age, race, sex, national creed and educational background,” he said. “Disability is also specifically noted. It's clear that student-athletes with disabilities are certainly included. They are a group that represents a dimension of diversity just like ethnic minority or female student-athletes.”
 
Overall, the NCAA's move to place great emphasis on issues related to student-athletes with disabilities is in its very early stages, but gathering momentum.
 
“Hopefully,” Ruckdaschel said, “there is a lot of learning and a lot of collaborations
to come.”
 
In the meantime, motivated by a host of people, including her family, friends, teammates and coaches, Hetrick continues to work hard at turning her dream of become a Paralympic Games swimmer into a vibrant reality.
 
That day could come sooner than later. The Paralympic Trials are in mid-June in Bismarck, North Dakota. Depending on how her season rounds out, Hetrick said she may very well be among the hopefuls there vying for a coveted spot on the U.S. National Paralympic Team.
 
She also is focused on pushing herself in the classroom. Hetrick is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Spanish, which will serve as a key step toward her professional aspiration of becoming a translator or interpreter.
 
In any language, Hetrick's story speaks loudly of success.
 
“Go out there an try new things,” she said in encouraging other aspiring student-athletes, and especially those who may be disabled. “In the world of people who are blind, many don't get involved, and really, they should. You may have struggles, but you can get through them. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. That's what I've learned.”