Meet Colleen Young.

Colleen Young is a dedicated, hardworking yet care-free, person who loves to help other people and is passionate about the people and things she loves. Born with the genetic condition Albinism, Colleen cannot produce any melanin. This results in having no pigmentation in her hair, skin, and eyes. This also leads to having a visual impairment.

Growing up in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, her family always encouraged her to try different sports and things that she could find rather difficult due to her lack of vision. Colleen tried all kinds of sports as a child. She found that sports involving moving objects, like softball, were not her specialty. One time during a softball game, Colleen got sunscreen in her eyes and the ball came flying towards her and hit her in the head. After that game, she decided that softball was no longer for her. She continued to play golf and swim, competitively playing in golf tournaments and swimming on a club team.

When she was 14 years old, Colleen made the 2012 Paralympic Games in London for Para Swimming. She decided then to quit golf and focus on swimming as her one true sport. Colleen has gone on to three Paralympic Games, several world championships, and swam at Fairfield University (a D1 college). She has accumulated several medals and records throughout the years.

These records (Fairfeld University) include:
100y Breaststroke
200y Breaststroke
100 SCM Breaststroke
200 SCM Breaststroke
200 SCM Individual Medley
200 SCM Medley Relay
200y Medley Relay
400y Medley Relay
2nd fastest finish in program history in the 200 IM
8th fastest time in the 400 IM
6x MAAC champion in both individual swims and as a part of relays

Colleen is currently studying for her MBA in Health Services Management through DeVry University.