Athletes

Jessica Long is a Paralympic gold medalist, a nine-time Paralympic medalist, a nine-time International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championship gold medalist, an ESPY Award winner and the current world-record holder of 15 swimming events. She was a Women’s Sports Foundation 2007 Sportswoman of the Year individual finalist. Long earned an impressive four gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. At the 2007 summer Can-Am swimming championships, she won four gold medals in the 400m long course (LC) individual medley (IM), 500m LC breast stroke, 100m LC backstroke and 400m LC medley. She won gold medals and set world records in both the 200m and 1,500m freestyle at the 2007 Greater Toledo Athletic Club (GTAC) Disability Open.

In March 2007, Long became the first Paralympic athlete to win the 77th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, which is presented to USA’s best amateur athlete. Long was named the 2006 U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Paralympian of the Year and 2006 Female Disabled Swimmer of the Year (Swimming World magazine). After a year filled with gold medals and record-breaking runs, Long was named a finalist for the 2006 Women’s Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year. At the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in South Africa, she won gold medals and set world records in the freestyle relay, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m IM and 400m freestyle. At the 2006 U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships, she won gold medals and set world records in the 100m LC and 400m LC freestyle. At the 2006 GTAC Open, she won and set world records in the 200m LC and 1,500m freestyle. In January 2006, Long was named the USOC’s Female Athlete of the Month. At the inaugural U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships in December 2005, Long earned Female Swimmer of the Meet honors after her six-medal performance, which included five gold medals and world records in the 100m LC butterfly and 200m LC IM.

The youngest athlete on the U.S. Paralympic team for the 2004 Games, at the age of 12, Long emerged onto the international scene with three gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle events. Long was selected as Maryland Swimming’s 2003 Female Swimmer with a Disability of the Year. She began swimming in her grandparents’ pool, before joining her first competitive team in 2002. (9/08)