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Postbulletin.com: Rochester swimmer wins four medals in Pan American Deaf Olympics - Wed, Sep 5, 2007
For an athlete, winning an Olympic gold medal has been described as one of the most gratifying and humbling experiences one will experience. The chance to be an elite competitor and represent your country at the same time is something not many will ever experience.
Marissa Larson of Rochester is one of the few.
Larson, 21, was one of three swimmers from the United States to compete in the 2007 Pan American Deaf Olympics last month in Venezuela.
She swam in six events, and won one gold, in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 34.02 seconds. She also took silver in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles and finished fourth in the 100-meter freestyle and butterfly events.
For the deaf, a light is used instead of a buzzer to trigger the start of an event.
Her victory in the 50-meter event came as a surprise, as did her finishes in some of her other events.
"(Winning the 50-meter) was a shock," she said. "I wasn't expecting to win it because the 50 hasn't always been my thing. I'm more of a long distance stroker than a sprinter."
"And as for the 800- and 400- freestyle, I'm really happy with my times because it was the first time I had ever competed in those," she said. "My times were really good considering it was my first time."
With her performance, Larson has possibly secured a spot to go to the 2009 Deaf Olympics in Taiwan. The opportunity to swim at the Deaf Olympics is Larson's ultimate goal as a swimmer.
"Since the committee was impressed with my times, I hope to go to the Deaf Olympics in 2009," said Larson. "I really want to compete in the Deaf Olympics. My goal is to improve my times, perform better, and be a more serious swimmer.
Larson was born hearing
Larson lived in Idaho until 12, then moved to Texas for four years, before her parents decided to move to Rochester in 2002 for a host of reasons.
Her father, Eric, is a nurse anesthetist and took a job at St. Mary's Hospital, and her parents believed she would be happier finishing her two years of high school at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) in Faribault.
"I was mainstreamed all my life at public schools before MSAD," said Larson. "Going to MSAD was a new experience for me to learn sign language and be around the deaf community."
Larson was born hearing. At 3, for an unknown reason, she lost most of her hearing, and is now hard-of-hearing. "I can hear pretty well with a hearing aid," she said. "And I can speak very well."
She will be a junior this fall at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Gallaudet was the first school to provide advanced education exclusively for hard-of-hearing and deaf students. The school is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Larson is on the Gallaudet swim team, where she has been named the most improved female swimmer the past two years.
"I'm not excited to go back and hit the books," she said. "But I'm excited to see my friends again and show them all of my pictures (from the Pan American games).''
For an athlete, winning an Olympic gold medal has been described as one of the most gratifying and humbling experiences one will experience. The chance to be an elite competitor and represent your country at the same time is something not many will ever experience.
Marissa Larson of Rochester is one of the few.
Larson, 21, was one of three swimmers from the United States to compete in the 2007 Pan American Deaf Olympics last month in Venezuela.
She swam in six events, and won one gold, in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 34.02 seconds. She also took silver in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles and finished fourth in the 100-meter freestyle and butterfly events.
For the deaf, a light is used instead of a buzzer to trigger the start of an event.
Her victory in the 50-meter event came as a surprise, as did her finishes in some of her other events.
"(Winning the 50-meter) was a shock," she said. "I wasn't expecting to win it because the 50 hasn't always been my thing. I'm more of a long distance stroker than a sprinter."
"And as for the 800- and 400- freestyle, I'm really happy with my times because it was the first time I had ever competed in those," she said. "My times were really good considering it was my first time."
With her performance, Larson has possibly secured a spot to go to the 2009 Deaf Olympics in Taiwan. The opportunity to swim at the Deaf Olympics is Larson's ultimate goal as a swimmer.
"Since the committee was impressed with my times, I hope to go to the Deaf Olympics in 2009," said Larson. "I really want to compete in the Deaf Olympics. My goal is to improve my times, perform better, and be a more serious swimmer.
Larson was born hearing
Larson lived in Idaho until 12, then moved to Texas for four years, before her parents decided to move to Rochester in 2002 for a host of reasons.
Her father, Eric, is a nurse anesthetist and took a job at St. Mary's Hospital, and her parents believed she would be happier finishing her two years of high school at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD) in Faribault.
"I was mainstreamed all my life at public schools before MSAD," said Larson. "Going to MSAD was a new experience for me to learn sign language and be around the deaf community."
Larson was born hearing. At 3, for an unknown reason, she lost most of her hearing, and is now hard-of-hearing. "I can hear pretty well with a hearing aid," she said. "And I can speak very well."
She will be a junior this fall at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Gallaudet was the first school to provide advanced education exclusively for hard-of-hearing and deaf students. The school is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Larson is on the Gallaudet swim team, where she has been named the most improved female swimmer the past two years.
"I'm not excited to go back and hit the books," she said. "But I'm excited to see my friends again and show them all of my pictures (from the Pan American games).''