Swimming

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)

Trischa Zorn Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind. Sport(s): Swimming Vision Class: B2

Education: B.S. in Elementary
Special Education, Univ. of Nebraska, 1987
M.S. in School Administration, Indiana Univ. / Purdue Univ., 1992

Occupation: Elementary Special Education and Inclusion Model 5th grade teacher

Trischa: A member of The Hartford's Team Ability. Trischa has won a total of 41 Gold, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze medals at the Paralympic Games.
Zorn also holds nine world records and has won more Paralympic medals than any other disabled athlete in the United States. A four-time All-American named to A-ll Academic and All-Big Eight Teams. Trischa was awarded a full academic scholarship to the University of Nebraska. She has qualified for two Olympic Trials, was an alternate to the 1980 Olympic Team, and was one of 11 candidates nominated as Sports Illustrated Woman of the Year in 1988.
An elementary school teacher for mildly mentally impaired and mainstream students, Trischa is also a co-captain at the "Community Leaders Allied" for Superior Schools (CLASS) providing inner-city youth activities for the disadvantaged. Trischa was born legally blind from a rare condition called "aniridia", meaning that there is an absence of an iris within her eyes.
International Competition Highlights: 1996: Atlanta Paralympic Games, top overall medalist with two Gold, three Silver, and three Bronze medals.
1994: International Swim Open, won nine individual swimming events...World Masters Championships, Montreal, Canada, two Silver, two Bronz
1993: U.S. Olympic Festival, San Antonio, Texas, broke the world record in 100m Back
1992: Barcelona Paralympic Games, top overall medalist with ten Gold and two Silver medals, plus broke six world records.
1990: World Championships, Assen, The Netherlands, Gold medalist in all events, setting 11 world records.
1988: Seoul Paralympic Games, won 12 Gold medals and set nine world records.
1987: World Championship Trials, ranked among top 20 able-bodied world swimmers.
1986: World Championships, Spain, set world record in 100m freestyle for blind.
1984: Paralympic Games, Long Island, N.Y., ten Gold medals
1983: Big 8 Swim Champion, 200 m backstroke (Big 8 Swim Champion for 3 years).
1980: Paralympic Games, The Netherlands, seven Gold medals.
Other Honors and Achievements:Member of The Hartford's Team Ability, the nation's first corporate-sponsored team of athletes with disabilities;
board member of the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes;
1996, recipient of Gene Autry Courage Award;
1993, received the Hal O'Leary Meeting the Challenge Award for Colorado Sports Council;
1992, USABA's Female Athlete of the Year and the U.S. Olympic Committee's top ten SportsWoman of the Year; and received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Soroptomists of Indiana for achievement in international goodwill.

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes

Beth Scott Hometown: Rockville, Md. Vision Class: B3 Age lost Visibility: Birth

Sport(s):Swimming (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle,
200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke,
100m breastroke, 100m butterfly, 200m individual medley)

Education: B.S. Sports Administration and Adapted Physical Education, Ball State Univ., Muncie, Ind. 1997

Occupation: Summer Sports Programs Coordinator, Disabled Sports USA

Cause of Blindness: Ocular albinism and nystagmus

Beth started swimming at the age of six, and has loved it ever since. After 18 years of swimming, she still loves the sport as much as she did when she first started as a child. Following her graduation from Ball State University, Beth took a job with Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA) coordinating summer competition programs for amputee athletes, which include doing the preparations for athletes competing at the Paralympic Games.
A competitor herself for the USABA, Beth has been able to carry out her job duties through an athlete's perspective. When not training or working, Beth enjoys giving motivational and educational speeches to kids and adult groups in the community about her experiences as an athlete who happens to be disabled. "I consider my disability a gift that I am unwrapping everyday," is a statement Beth often states while giving outreach speeches.
Competition Highlights: 1996: Atlanta Paralympic Games, gold medal in the 100m butterfly (1:06.58), silver in the 4 x 100m medley, bronze medal in the 200m individual medley (2:36.90), 100m breaststroke (1:26.48), and 100m backstroke (1:15.03)
1996 Mid-American Conference Champion and school record holder (at Ball State University, a division I NCAA School
1992: Barcelona Paralympic Games, broke six world records and won seven gold medals�gold medals in 100m butterfly (WR), 100m backstroke (WR), 50m freestyle (WR), 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle (WR), 4 x 100m medley (WR), and 4 x 100m freestyle (WR)
1992 and 1993: The U.S. Open
1991 � 1994: U.S. Swimming National Championships �Honorable Mentions'
Other Achievements: 1993 and 1996 USOC Blind Athlete of the Year
1994 Finalist for the March of Dimes Delano Roosevelt Award
1996 � 1997 Co-captain of Ball State University Swim Team�Selected as Ball State University Representative to the 1997 NCAA National Leadership Conference, Orlando, Fla
Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Adapted Aquatics Committee
1995 � 1997 was Vice President of Student Athlete Advisory Board, Ball State University
Hobbies: Reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books Personal Motto: "Swim with your heart�Then you know you have always done your best!"

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)

Kathryn Pavlacka Hometown: Liverpool, N.Y. Vision Class: B1 Age lost Visibility:12
totally blind

Sport(s): Swimming; 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breastroke, 200 Breastroke, and 200 individual medley.

Education: Liverpool High School, 1999 Graduation

Occupation: Student

Cause of Blindness: Rare (unknown) retinal disease (no family history to trace)

Kathryn's general love for the sport of swimming led her to join the varsity swim team in 9th grade. At the age of 16, she learned of the USABA and became involved in competing against blind swimmers, aside from her normal varsity swim competitions against sighted.
In addition to swimming, Kathryn enjoys other physical activities such as running and tandem cycling, and recently participated in a local level triathlon where she completed a half-mile swim, 12- mile bike ride and three-mile run.
Music is Kathryn's other passion � she's played viola since 4th grade and also enjoys singing, playing the piano and playing the hand bells on occasion (played the hand bells more often when she had vision). At the age of 15, Kathryn had an opportunity to join other girls with vision impairments in an Adirondack Experience � a week-long camp involving hiking, camping, a high ropes course, mountain climbing and repelling.
Honorable Mentions and Other Achievements: Academic Honor Roll every quarter through high school,
school-wide recognition for achievement in the arts, science, international languages,
membership in Jr. National Honor Society and National Honor Society,
membership in Who's Who of High School Students.
Community Involvement: Involved in periodic annual community service projects through local church youth group and through the NHS.
Hobbies: Collecting bunnies and making craft "creations" out of gum wrappers and other scrap materials. Also enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles.
Personal Philosophy: "When told I can't do something I go two fold to accomplish my goal, and I always come out a winner."

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U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)
Trischa Zorn	Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.	Sport(s): Swimming	Vision Class: B2
Education: B.S. in Elementary Special Education, Univ. of Nebraska, 1987 M.S. in School Administration, Indiana Univ. / Purdue Univ., 1992
Occupation: Elementary Special Education and Inclusion Model 5th grade teacher
Trischa: A member of The Hartford's Team Ability. Trischa has won a total of 41 Gold, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze medals at the Paralympic Games. Zorn also holds nine world records and has won more Paralympic medals than any other disabled athlete in the United States. A four-time All-American named to A-ll Academic and All-Big Eight Teams. Trischa was awarded a full academic scholarship to the University of Nebraska. She has qualified for two Olympic Trials, was an alternate to the 1980 Olympic Team, and was one of 11 candidates nominated as Sports Illustrated Woman of the Year in 1988. An elementary school teacher for mildly mentally impaired and mainstream students, Trischa is also a co-captain at the "Community Leaders Allied" for Superior Schools (CLASS) providing inner-city youth activities for the disadvantaged. Trischa was born legally blind from a rare condition called "aniridia", meaning that there is an absence of an iris within her eyes. International Competition Highlights: 1996: Atlanta Paralympic Games, top overall medalist with two Gold, three Silver, and three Bronze medals. 1994: International Swim Open, won nine individual swimming events...World Masters Championships, Montreal, Canada, two Silver, two Bronz 1993: U.S. Olympic Festival, San Antonio, Texas, broke the world record in 100m Back 1992: Barcelona Paralympic Games, top overall medalist with ten Gold and two Silver medals, plus broke six world records. 1990: World Championships, Assen, The Netherlands, Gold medalist in all events, setting 11 world records. 1988: Seoul Paralympic Games, won 12 Gold medals and set nine world records. 1987: World Championship Trials, ranked among top 20 able-bodied world swimmers. 1986: World Championships, Spain, set world record in 100m freestyle for blind. 1984: Paralympic Games, Long Island, N.Y., ten Gold medals 1983: Big 8 Swim Champion, 200 m backstroke (Big 8 Swim Champion for 3 years). 1980: Paralympic Games, The Netherlands, seven Gold medals. Other Honors and Achievements:Member of The Hartford's Team Ability, the nation's first corporate-sponsored team of athletes with disabilities; board member of the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes; 1996, recipient of Gene Autry Courage Award; 1993, received the Hal O'Leary Meeting the Challenge Award for Colorado Sports Council; 1992, USABA's Female Athlete of the Year and the U.S. Olympic Committee's top ten SportsWoman of the Year; and received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Soroptomists of Indiana for achievement in international goodwill.

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes
Beth Scott	Hometown: Rockville, Md.	Vision Class: B3	Age lost Visibility: Birth
Sport(s):Swimming (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m breastroke, 100m butterfly, 200m individual medley)
Education: B.S. Sports Administration and Adapted Physical Education, Ball State Univ., Muncie, Ind. 1997
Occupation: Summer Sports Programs Coordinator, Disabled Sports USA
Cause of Blindness: Ocular albinism and nystagmus
Beth started swimming at the age of six, and has loved it ever since. After 18 years of swimming, she still loves the sport as much as she did when she first started as a child. Following her graduation from Ball State University, Beth took a job with Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA) coordinating summer competition programs for amputee athletes, which include doing the preparations for athletes competing at the Paralympic Games. A competitor herself for the USABA, Beth has been able to carry out her job duties through an athlete's perspective. When not training or working, Beth enjoys giving motivational and educational speeches to kids and adult groups in the community about her experiences as an athlete who happens to be disabled. "I consider my disability a gift that I am unwrapping everyday," is a statement Beth often states while giving outreach speeches. Competition Highlights: 1996: Atlanta Paralympic Games, gold medal in the 100m butterfly (1:06.58), silver in the 4 x 100m medley, bronze medal in the 200m individual medley (2:36.90), 100m breaststroke (1:26.48), and 100m backstroke (1:15.03) 1996 Mid-American Conference Champion and school record holder (at Ball State University, a division I NCAA School 1992: Barcelona Paralympic Games, broke six world records and won seven gold medals�gold medals in 100m butterfly (WR), 100m backstroke (WR), 50m freestyle (WR), 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle (WR), 4 x 100m medley (WR), and 4 x 100m freestyle (WR) 1992 and 1993: The U.S. Open 1991 � 1994: U.S. Swimming National Championships �Honorable Mentions' Other Achievements: 1993 and 1996 USOC Blind Athlete of the Year 1994 Finalist for the March of Dimes Delano Roosevelt Award 1996 � 1997 Co-captain of Ball State University Swim Team�Selected as Ball State University Representative to the 1997 NCAA National Leadership Conference, Orlando, Fla Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Adapted Aquatics Committee 1995 � 1997 was Vice President of Student Athlete Advisory Board, Ball State University Hobbies: Reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books Personal Motto: "Swim with your heart�Then you know you have always done your best!"

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)
Kathryn Pavlacka	Hometown: Liverpool, N.Y.	Vision Class: B1	Age lost Visibility:12 totally blind
Sport(s): Swimming; 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breastroke, 200 Breastroke, and 200 individual medley.
Education: Liverpool High School, 1999 Graduation
Occupation: Student
Cause of Blindness: Rare (unknown) retinal disease (no family history to trace)
Kathryn's general love for the sport of swimming led her to join the varsity swim team in 9th grade. At the age of 16, she learned of the USABA and became involved in competing against blind swimmers, aside from her normal varsity swim competitions against sighted. In addition to swimming, Kathryn enjoys other physical activities such as running and tandem cycling, and recently participated in a local level triathlon where she completed a half-mile swim, 12- mile bike ride and three-mile run. Music is Kathryn's other passion � she's played viola since 4th grade and also enjoys singing, playing the piano and playing the hand bells on occasion (played the hand bells more often when she had vision). At the age of 15, Kathryn had an opportunity to join other girls with vision impairments in an Adirondack Experience � a week-long camp involving hiking, camping, a high ropes course, mountain climbing and repelling. Honorable Mentions and Other Achievements: Academic Honor Roll every quarter through high school, school-wide recognition for achievement in the arts, science, international languages, membership in Jr. National Honor Society and National Honor Society, membership in Who's Who of High School Students. Community Involvement: Involved in periodic annual community service projects through local church youth group and through the NHS. Hobbies: Collecting bunnies and making craft "creations" out of gum wrappers and other scrap materials. Also enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles. Personal Philosophy: "When told I can't do something I go two fold to accomplish my goal, and I always come out a winner."