3-time Paralympic gold medalist Becca Meyers and her service dog Birdy will have a new home as they train toward the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Meyers announced on Saturday that she would be moving to train with the Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP) to train with Olympic coach Bruce Gemmell. Gemmell coaches out of the Georgetown Prep site in Bethesda, Maryland as part of the club’s massive DC-metro network.
https://twitter.com/becca_meyers/status/1134831029406056449
The 24-year old Meyers is a 2-time ESPY award winner for Best Female Athlete with a Disability (2014, 2017) and represented the US at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games. In 2012, she took a silver medal in the SM13 200 IM and a bronze medal in the S13 100 free. Her rise to the top of the Para world came in Rio at the 2016 Games, where she took golds in the 400 free, 100 fly, and 200 IM in the S13 class, plus a silver in the 100 free.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about the team at NCAP,” Meyers said of the decision. “As I prepare for this Summer’s World Para Swimming Championships in London and next year’s Paralympic Games, I decided this is the best move for my career right now. Birdie and I are excited to join NCAP and work with Bruce Gemmell to take my training to the next level.”
Meyer also won a bronze medal at the 2009 Deaflympics in her only appearance at that event.
Meyers holds several World Records, including most recently breaking the S13 records in both the 800 and 1500 meter freestyles.
A Baltimore native, Meyer grew up training with Loyola Blakefield Aquatics. Bethesda is only about a 45-minute drive (or 90 minute train ride) from Baltimore.
She had been training at NBAC under Paul Yetter, another coach with an international resume, since he joined that club in 2016. Gemmell is best-known as the coach of distance swimmers Katie Ledecky and his son Andrew Gemmell, both of whom have represented the US at the Olympic Games. Gemmell was Ledecky’s coach in the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games, where she won 4 gold and 1 silver medal. Gemmell was a member of the U.S. women’s Olympic staff in Rio, as well as the head coach of the 2017 US World Junior Championships Team.
Meyers, who in addition to being visually impaired has been deaf since birth, has Usher Syndrome. According to the National Institutes of Health, the condition is characterized by partial or total hearing loss and vision loss that worsens over time.
She was a D3 All-American as well wasn’t she?
Met Becky and Birdy at the pool today, great young lady and the (second) handsomest doggie out there!
Hope to see you in tokyo2020! Good luck in London this summer!