Spokane para-athlete inspiring more to compete in sports at a high level

SPOKANE, Wash. — A para-athlete who won two medals last summer at the Paralympic Games in Paris is now advocating for athletes with disabilities.

32-year-old Taylor Swanson is a Seattle transplant, who now lives in Spokane.

She was born in South Korea and moved to Seattle after being adopted. She realized her passion for running when she was a kid.

In high school, she competed in the state championships, in the Junior Olympics, and was recruited by the national track and field team in South Korea.

After suffering a knee injury in 2014, Swanson found out nearly a decade later that she had cerebral palsy.

The condition is caused by brain damage during or just after birth, and impacts body movements and coordination.

A physical therapist recommended she try para-athletics.

“That’s kind of where I went to change from trying for the Olympics to trying for the Paralympics,” Swanson told UW Medicine.

In 2023, Swanson ran the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100 meter universal relay races.

She trained with Parasport Spokane, which trains athletes with disabilities to compete at a high level.

“I really wanted to get back to track after an injury kind of set things back,” Swanson said.

She has since become the ambassador for The Sports Institute ExerciseRx Project, which is a digital platform that helps patients get more physically active.

Through a grant at Seattle Children’s Hospital, ExerciseRx made a version of its app to help kids and teens with cerebral palsy.

Swanson hopes her experience will inspire others facing similar challenges and raise awareness for what disability in sports is.

“I’m hoping to continue working with them and bring awareness to communities and schools so that people can see themselves in me and realize that your disability doesn’t need to define you. It’s just a part of who you are,” she said.

Check out Swanson’s EW Medicine story on YouTube, “From injury and disability to Paralympic glory.“