Mikaela Jenkins (born March 11, 2003) is an American former

Paralympic swimmer Para swimming is an adaptation of the sport of swimming (sport), swimming for athletes with disability, disabilities. Para swimmers compete at the Swimming at the Summer Paralympics, Summer Paralympic Games and at other sports competitions through ...

who represented the United States at the

2020 Summer Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the Inte ...

Career

Jenkins made her international debut for the United States at the

2019 World Para Swimming Championships The 2019 World Para Swimming Championships was the tenth edition of the World Para Swimming Championships run by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The championships were held from February to June in seven countries across five contine ...

where she won a gold medal in the women's 100 metre butterfly S10 event, and silver medals in the women's freestyle relay 34pts and women's freestyle relay 34pts events. Jenkins represented the United States in the women's 100 metre butterfly S10 event at the

and won a gold medal. She also competed in the women's 4×100 metre medley relay 34pts and won a gold medal. On April 14, 2022, Jenkins was named to the roster to represent the United States at the

2022 World Para Swimming Championships The 2022 World Para Swimming Championships was the 11th edition of the World Para Swimming Championships, an international swimming competition for athletes with a disability. It was held in Madeira from 12 to 18 June. The competition was origin ...

. On April 29, 2023, Jenkins was named to the roster to represent the United States at the

2023 World Para Swimming Championships The 2023 World Para Swimming Championships was the 12th edition of the World Para Swimming Championships, an international swimming competition for swimmers with disabilities. It was held in Manchester, Great Britain from 31 July to 6 August 202 ...

. On April 29, 2024, Jenkins announced her retirement from para-swimming to focus on her final year of college and her future out of the pool. She attends

Grove City College Grove City College (GCC) is a private, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1876 as a normal school, the college emphasizes a humanities core curriculum and offers 60 majors and si ...

and is pursuing a molecular biology major with a chemistry minor.

Personal life

Jenkins was born with

proximal femoral focal deficiency Proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), also known as congenital femoral deficiency (CFD), is a rare, non-hereditary birth defect that affects the pelvis, particularly the hip bone, and the proximal femur. The disorder may affect one side or bo ...

and underwent a left Syme's amputation when she was eight months old.

References

External links

* * * 2003 births Living people American female freestyle swimmers American female butterfly swimmers Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships Paralympic swimmers for the United States Paralympic gold medalists for the United States Paralympic medalists in swimming Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Parapan American Games medalists in swimming Parapan American Games silver medalists for the United States Parapan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Swimmers at the 2023 Parapan American Games Medalists at the 2023 Parapan American Games American disabled sportspeople American amputees Sportspeople with limb difference S10-classified para swimmers Sportspeople from Tampa, Florida Swimmers from Florida 21st-century American sportswomen {{US-swimming-bio-stub