Colleen Young

Who is Colleen Young?

Born with the genetic condition Albinism, Colleen cannot produce any melanin. This results in having no pigmentation in her hair, skin, and eyes, meaning Colleen also lives with a visual impairment. Growing up around St. Louis, Missouri, her family always encouraged her to try different sports and things she might find rather difficult due to her lack of vision. Colleen tried all kinds of sports, but fell in love with swimming competitively. At the 2012 Paralympic Games, she became the youngest member to compete, at just 14 years old. She has participated in three Paralympic Games (2012, 2016, and 2020), several world championships, and swam at a D1 college.