From Greenwood, Indiana to Akron, Ohio, all the way to Paris, Grace Nuhfer proves the sky's the limit, or in her case, the four walls of a Paralympic-sized swimming pool.
Nuhfer swam and won silver in the 100m Butterfly this past August in the Paris Paralympics under the S13 category, which falls under the 14 different paraswim categories. Three of these categories concern visual impairments. Nuhfer’s specific grouping represents the athletes with the most visibility.
Nuhfer and her younger sister both have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which refers to a group of connective tissue disorders that are genetically unique to each individual per the features in the 13 different diagnoses. However, all those who have EDS experience some form of joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility and tissue fragility.
In the sisters’ case, they both have a rare occurrence of Brittle Cornea Syndrome (BCS), which Nuhfer said only affects around 20 people in the world at this time.
Currently a senior at the University of Akron, Nuhfer is a sensation of success among her teammates at both the collegiate level and the paralympic level. However, before she was either of these heroes, she was a swimming star in the southern Indianapolis community in her hometown of Greenwood, Ind.
Despite her visual disability, Nuhfer never let it define her.
“In high school, I knew I couldn't see well,” Nuhfer said. “It was kind of one of those things where everyone was so great and supportive, it wasn’t really a thing that I thought about often.”
Limitless in her pursuits, Nuhfer has never held herself back from a challenge. When she met a para swimmer at a club meet in Indianapolis, who pitched the idea of applying, she ran with it – or rather swam with it.
But it's not always as easy as it seems.
“The first time I applied, they told me my left eye was just slightly too good,” Nuhfer said. “I was like, that doesn’t make sense. I can’t drive. I am obviously blind. I can’t see and you’re telling me I’m not blind enough?”
Feeling rejected, she put the idea of para swimming on the back burner.
At least until she realized her bubble of support from home might not have extended into the new constraints of college competition.
“Coming to college, I didn’t have as much support as I was used to from high school, and I wasn’t used to being this independent,” Nuhfer said. “It was kind of a wake-up call, like ‘Man, I really am disabled.’”
When the suggestion of competing in parasports came to Nuhfer again, she was ready. In fact, one of her teammate’s mother, an international coach in Norway, approached her during practice and said “I mean this with so much respect, but I have para swimmers who can see better than you, and I think you need to try again.”
Long gone were the feelings of doubt; she was determined, and with the help of her new team and coaches, Nuhfer began her para swimming journey with hopes of representing Team USA at the highest echelon, according to assistant coach, Michael Licon.
Licon, who has been coaching Nuhfer a little over a year now, described her as one of the most well-rounded athletes he has ever coached.
“As an athlete, Grace is fiercely competitive and never backs down from a challenge, always holding herself to the highest of standards,” Licon said. “As a person, Grace has an unmatched sense of humor and heart of gold. I have met few people in my life who are as personable and downright funny as Grace Nuhfer.”
A champion in many aspects of life it seems, Nuhfer applies these concepts outwardly in her interactions with people and actions in the pool, but also internally with her mentality. If her new achievements are to be recognized, it's pretty clear she's got something good going for her. So good that she got to fly home from Paris with some shiny silver hardware around her neck.
Like the cool, composed champion that she is, Nuhfer took to the pool in strides.
“I used the energy from the crowd to make me excited more than nervous, which I think I did a pretty good job of,” Nuhfer said. “I have gotten really nervous before races in the past, but going into the finals was almost calm.”
Although para swimming, unless a relay is involved, is an individual sport, Nuhfer didn’t go into her Paris experience alone– in the pool or out of it.
“Once we finished that first race, that was signifying that we were gonna be considered Paralympians forever,” Nuhfer said. “And no one could take that away from us.”
Until this moment, she had been a Paralympic trial qualifier, but now? Now, she was undeniably a champion.
This victorious feeling in the face of adversity changed more than just Nuhfer’s status as a para athlete–it gave her perspective.
“It was more rewarding,” Nuhfer said. “The support I received felt more important than any medal I would have received. I knew whatever happened, the race itself didn’t reflect on me as an athlete, but the fact that I was even there in the first place.”
It might not have been Nuhfer’s only ambition in Paris, but it was undoubtedly a prideful moment for those who support her.
“Watching her win a Paralympic silver medal was surreal,” Licon said. “I hope Grace can take everything in and enjoy all the moments, both small and profound. The amount of time you get to be in this position before life moves on is finite.”
And yet, Nuhfer’s time in the spotlight is far from over.
After her life-changing experience at the Paris Paralympics, with the immersive world culture and the devoted fans of parasport, Nuhfer is set on earning a second medal to join her collection.
“The French crowd, specifically when there were French swimmers, was actually crazy,” Nuhfer said. “I don’t think I have ever been in a place that insane, with the passion they had for their athletes. It makes LA 2028 very appealing.”
As distant as the next Summer Paralympic Games are, and the fact that Nuhfer will have graduated from college, Licon has full confidence that Nuhfer will still be around to make some waves.
“She’s hungry and has a lot more left in the tank,” Licon said. “I think she can do some real damage leading up to LA 2028.”
Ruby Olston (she/her) is a junior majoring in Sports Journalism. Outside of writing, Ruby loves to thrift a new wardrobe, watch Formula 1, and treat herself to overpriced coffee.
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