KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A 17-year-old Osceola County teen is defying the odds and training for Paralympic swimming trials next week.
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Momo Sutton has been a competitive swimmer since she was just a child, but unlike some of her peers, Sutton was born without an arm and with serious case of scoliosis.
Now, she’s in the home stretch of training for a major competitive milestone as she heads to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Paralympic trials June 27 through June 29.
The teen practices five days a week with the Kissimmee Swim Association in Osceola County.
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On her club team, she has become a role model as she competes in both Paralympic and able-bodied competitions across the U.S.
“This was who I’ve always been, I’ve always had this condition. Sometimes interacting with other people reminds me that oh yeah, I’m different. But it’s never stopped me,” said Sutton.
The teen said her love for the sport started when she was just 4 years old.
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That’s when her doctors at Shriner’s Children encouraged her to get in the water to ensure she was using both sides of her body.
JoAnne Kanas is the Director of Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services with Shriner’s Children. She’s been part of Sutton’s care team for a decade, helping her use new prosthetics.
Kanas told Channel 9 that sports are often encouraged for arm amputees, but Sutton’s commitment has defied the odds as she now competes at the highest level of her sport.
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“You don’t get to the level that Momo is currently at just because you like something. It takes an extreme amount of hard work,” Kanas said.
Sutton will swim in four events at the Paralympic trials in Minneapolis. Her big goal is to drop about 2 seconds in the 100-meter Freestyle event.
Sutton told Channel 9 she is laser-focused on improving her technique and has her goal times posted on a wall at home ahead of the trials.
While she doesn’t have the international swim meet prerequisites needed to make the Paralympics this year, she hopes to hit her goal time so she can move up a level with the U.S. Paralympic team.
The ultimate goal for Sutton is to attend the Paralympics in 2028.
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