At only 22 years old, Rebecca Meyers is already a multiple-world record holder, and has won three Paralympic titles and 10 medals at World Championships.
She made her Paralympic debut at London 2012, claiming one silver and one bronze. The following year, Meyers won her maiden world titles in Montreal, Canada, rounding off an outstanding performance with two golds and two silvers.
In 2015, she again shined at the World Championships, winning two golds and one silver in Glasgow, Great Britain. By the end of that year, she received the ‘Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award’ from US broadcast television network ABC.
But Meyers’ best performance so far came in 2016, when she sealed her first three Paralympic titles in Rio, as well as a silver medal, setting two world records along the way.
In 2017, she aims to continue her run at the World Championships in Mexico City, from 30 September-7 October.
The US swimmer was born with Usher syndrome, a condition that affects both vision and hearing. She took up the sport in 2000 and has not stopped since.
Amongst her hobbies, she includes reading, travelling, baking cupcakes, listening to music and hanging out with friends.
Biography
Impairment information
Further personal information
Sport specific information
General interest
She received the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly [ESPY] Award for Best Female with an Impairment in 2015 and 2017 in the United States of America. (teamusa.org, 16 Jul 2015; paralympic.org, 14 Jul 2017)
She was named 2011 Female Sportsperson of the Year by the USA Deaf Sports Federation [USADSF]. (marylandmatters.org, 16 Jul 2019)
In June 2019 she announced that she would be changing club and coach, leaving North Baltimore Aquatic Club and coach Paul Yetter to train at the Nation's Capital Swim Club [NCAP] under Bruce Gemmell. "I've heard nothing but great things about the team at NCAP. As I prepare for the [2020] Paralympic Games, I decided this is the best move for my career right now. Birdie [her guide dog] and I are excited to join NCAP and work with Bruce Gemmell to take my training to the next level." (swimswam.com, 01 Jun 2019)
SERVICE DOG
She has a service dog named Birdie who was born in 2014 and trained at The Seeing Eye, a guide dog school for the blind in Morristown, NJ, United States of America. "She is my eyes in this world. Birdie has changed my life and has redefined the word 'independence' for me, and she is my biggest cheerleader in and out of the pool. She gives me confidence and independence to get to the pool, as well as all around the country safely." (wjla.com, 21 Aug 2019; teamusa.org, 25 Aug 2017)
BALANCING SPORT AND STUDY
She trained for the 2020 Paralympic Games alongside her history studies at Franklin & Marshall College. "Some days, it's a challenge to balance school and training, but time management is the key to everything. I do my best to prioritise for school and give it my best effort. Then I do the exact same thing in the pool, I give it my best effort. If one day feels like a failure, I just try again tomorrow." (fightingblindness.org, 11 Jan 2021)
Results
Unit | Date | Rank |
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Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Final Round | 2012-09-01 | 5 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-01 | 4 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Final Round | 2012-09-02 | 3 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-02 | 3 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Final Round | 2012-09-07 | 2 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-07 | 3 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB13 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-08 | 5 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Final 1 | 2013-08-12 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 | Final 1 | 2013-08-14 | 2 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2013-08-15 | 4 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-15 | 6 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2013-08-16 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-18 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2013-08-18 | 2 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2015-07-13 | 4 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-13 | 6 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Heat 3 | 2015-07-14 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Final 1 | 2015-07-14 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-16 | 2 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2015-07-16 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB13 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-17 | 5 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB13 | Final 1 | 2015-07-17 | 4 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2015-07-18 | 4 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-18 | 5 | |
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 | Final 1 | 2015-07-19 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-19 | 1 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 | Final Round | 2016-09-08 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-08 | 2 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Heat 3 | 2016-09-10 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM13 | Final Round | 2016-09-10 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Final Round | 2016-09-12 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-12 | 1 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Swim-Off | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Final Round | 2016-09-14 | 6 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-14 | 3 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Final Round | 2016-09-16 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-16 | 1 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2017-12-03 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m Butterfly S13 | Final 1 | 2017-12-04 | 2 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Heat 1 | 2017-12-05 | 1 | |
Women's 50 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2017-12-05 | 6 | |
Women's 400 m Freestyle S13 | Final 1 | 2017-12-05 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB13 | Final 1 | 2017-12-06 | 3 |