香港三级片

The flame of the Games is burning again 鈥� perhaps it鈥檚 still burning inside you? 鈥� and this time, it鈥檚 for the Paris Paralympics.

The fire trek began Saturday in the London village where the Paralympics were founded 鈥� and the flame will arrive Wednesday at the cauldron in Paris鈥� Tuileries Garden for the opening ceremony.

And on Thursday, the Games begin again 鈥� and a St. 香港三级片 student and swimmer will represent America in the pool.

Lawrence Sapp, 22, attends the University of Missouri-St. 香港三级片 and first made the Team USA Swimming national squad in 2017. Sapp will compete on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the 100-meter butterfly 鈥� with the medal race that night around 11:30 p.m.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited 鈥� I鈥檝e been working so hard,鈥� Sapp said via Zoom from Germany, where his team is training before the Summer Paralympic Games. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been working together as teammates, we talk to each other and give feedback. 鈥� I鈥檓 proud of myself. I work hard and we work together. I help represent Team USA.鈥�

Sapp is autistic. And an inspiration.

He reminds us of what humans can accomplish with the right attitude and work ethic.

And he shows other people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that dreams can become achievable goals.

鈥淚t has been incredible to watch Lawrence train for the Paralympics, while also being a college student,鈥� said Madeline Siener, Sapp鈥檚 coach from UMSL鈥檚 academic program called Succeed, offered through the Office of Inclusive Post Secondary Education. 鈥淗e successfully managed his classes, attended campus events and kept up with multiple practices each week, all with a smile. He even found time for his hobby of creating vlogs that offer a glimpse into his daily life.

鈥淟awrence is truly an exceptional student athlete who, while excelling in his college studies, has also taught the UMSL community valuable lessons about inclusion.鈥�

Sapp swam last season for Division II UMSL 鈥� and he鈥檒l swim this summer, yet again, at the Paralympics, following his fifth-place finish in Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 due to the pandemic). This year, his 100-meter butterfly qualifying time of 57.16 seconds was sixth-fastest among the S14 competitors.

So, what鈥檚 S14?

Well, the Paralympics swimmers are classified in 14 different groups. The first 10 classifications are based on the effect a physical impairment has on the athlete’s swimming. S11, S12 and S13 are for visually impaired swimmers. And S14 is for what’s called an intellectual impairment, which, according to : “can typically lead to the athletes having difficulties with regards to pattern recognition, sequencing, and memory, or having a slower reaction time, which impact on sport performance in general. Moreover, S14 swimmers show a higher number of (swimming) strokes relative to their speed than able-bodied elite swimmers.”

Sapp has won medals in previous international events. In 2017, he won gold in the 100-meter backstroke at the World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City. And at the 2019 Championships in London, he won a silver in his current race, the 100-meter butterfly.

Sapp is from the Maryland town of Waldorf, which is 45 minutes from Washington, DC. But he came to St. 香港三级片 last school year to attend UMSL鈥檚 two-year Succeed Program for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Over a decade ago, a group of college instructors 鈥� and some community members 鈥� decided they wanted to start a program. They got initial funding and took influential UMSL staffers to visit other campuses with similar programs.

鈥淚t was a life-changing experience for me,鈥� Jonathan Lidgus said. 鈥淪o, I moved from the director of housing to running the program. I helped start the program 鈥� and I now run the program. And I鈥檓 about to finish my PhD in education.鈥�

The Succeed Program began in 2012 with 13 students. Now UMSL has 80 students, including Sapp, in three programs (Link, Succeed and Succeed +) through the Office of Inclusive Post Secondary Education.

鈥淭hese programs,鈥� Lidgus said, 鈥渁llow students who traditionally would not be eligible for enrollment 鈥� those with intellectual disabilities 鈥� to attend programs inclusively on college campus. And take inclusive college courses, live in the residence halls, attend activities and events and be part of clubs. 鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just been amazing to see Lawrence participate on the swim team here, participate in classes, live on his own. ... go to tutoring, go to coaching that we provide, and really grow. Not only just grow his swimming, but grow into things that he鈥檚 into, in terms of why people go to college 鈥� to get jobs and grow as adults. 鈥�

鈥淪eeing him achieve his goal is just really emotional for me.鈥�