Two years after entering the world of para swimming, former Belles standout Olivia Chambers ’21 will make her Paralympic debut at Paris 2024. The 17th edition of the Summer Paralympic Games is scheduled to run Aug. 28 through Sept. 8 with the swimming events taking place Aug. 29 through Sept. 7. Olivia, who began losing her eyesight in high school due to complications from multiple mitochondrial gene deletion syndrome, is set to compete in five individual events in the French capital.
A senior at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Olivia earned her spot on the U.S. Team after capturing a pair of first-place finishes and two runner-up finishes at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in Minneapolis earlier this summer. Of the 21 women and 12 men comprising the national 2024 para swim team competing in Paris, she is among 10 making their Paralympic Games debut.
According to a release from UNI Athletics, Olivia will begin a rigorous competition schedule at Paris’ La Defense Arena starting on Aug. 29. She will open the meet in the S13 100-meter butterfly, followed by the S13 400-meter freestyle on Aug. 31, a race in which she holds the fastest time in the world this year at 4:32.55. Her events will continue on Sept. 2 with the S13 50-meter freestyle, the SM13 200-meter individual medley on Sept. 3 and the SB13 100-meter breaststroke on Sept. 5. A potential sixth event appearance in the mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay will be determined in the days leading up to the event.
Olivia enters Paris 2024 as a six-time medalist at the 2023 Para Swimming World Championships, three-time U.S. Paralympic Swimming national champion, 12-time Para Swimming World Series medalist and holder of five American records in her classification. In June she was named the 2024 recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference’s Most Courageous Award, given to a current or former student-athlete, coach or university administrator who demonstrates unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the conference. Olivia was honored with a similar award, the CHI St. Vincent Health Award, shortly after graduating from Mount St. Mary Academy. The latter honors an Arkansas high school student-athlete who has overcome a health challenge and did so with grace and humility while inspiring his/her team and community on the journey.
Stay up to date with Olivia’s competition schedule and view a comprehensive media guide at https://unipanthers.com/sports/2024/8/1/paralympic-games. Live coverage of the Paris Paralympics can be found on the networks of NBC, including Peacock, NBC, CNBC and USA Network. Additionally, live results may be viewed online at https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games.
Header photo courtesy of Joel Wauters (UNI Athletics)
