Jarrett Perry
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wichita, Kansas |
| Education | University of Colorado |
Jarrett Perry is an American former para-swimmer. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the Men's 100 metre backstroke S9 and a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in the same category.
Early life
Perry was born to parents Vicky and Craig in Wichita, Kansas alongside his twin brother Mac.[1][2] The pair was diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome at birth which forced doctors to amputate Perry's leg.[3] He began swimming at a young age and by six years old was specializing in the 25-yard butterfly.[2] In 1997, while attending Coleman Middle School, he won six medals after competing at the Disabled Sports USA National Summer Games.[4][5]
Career
As a seventh-grader at Coleman Middle School, Perry became the youngest swimmer selected for the US swimming team in international competition.[6] In his first year with the team, he earned five gold medals, three silver, and one bronze.[7] In 2000, Perry held American records in the 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter freestyle and a world record in the 400-meter individual medley. As a result, he attempted to qualify for the 2000 Summer Paralympics.[8] Although he failed to qualify for those Olympics, Perry qualified for the 2004 Summer Paralympics by beating his own record with a time of 1 minute and 5.66 seconds.[9][10] In his Paralympcis debut, Perry won a gold medal in the Men's 100 metre backstroke S9 while also setting the Paralympic world record in the 200-meter backstroke.[11] Perry returned to the Paralympic Games in 2008 where he won a bronze medal in the Men's 100 metre backstroke S9.[3]
References
- ^ Stratton, Bob (July 24, 1993). "Swimming with energy". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Stratton, Bob (July 24, 1993). "Jarrett". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Jarrett Perry". Team USA. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ^ Parson, Jeffery (August 14, 1997). "Ordinary kid, extraordinary swimmer". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Brectanridge, Carla C. (July 23, 1998). "Young swimmer leaves disability in his wake". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Garcia, Arturo (October 21, 1999). "Young swimmer on the rise down under". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Garcia, Arturo (January 6, 2000). "Look, mom! No worries!". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Smith, Amy (June 20, 2000). "Swimmer shoots for Olympics". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Fraizer, Duane (April 27, 2004). "Southeast swimmer makes Olympic team". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Fraizer, Duane (April 27, 2004). "Swimmer". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Tait, Aiden (June 13, 2005). "Wanted: Competition Jarrett Perry has ruled Paralympic swimming". The Oklahoman. Retrieved December 25, 2021.