Hannah Sloan goes after Paralympic dreams

Samuel Barber
MSMU Class of 2022

(6/2021) Walking through the tunnel at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games presents a plethora of sights, smells, and sounds. It serves as the tangible reward and culmination of years of hard work from athletes across the globe. The Olympics and Paralympics are unequivocally the pinnacle in anyone’s athletic career. However, for most of us aspiring athletes, the dream does not become a reality and we are forced to reevaluate our goals. For the small population that gets into that upper echelon, they are met with glory and high praise. During this Olympic and Paralympic cycle, these sights, smells, and sounds are hitting close to home as rising sophomore swimmer Hannah Sloan is doing just that: chasing a dream.

The short-distance specialist earned her spot at the upcoming trials by competing in five events during the 2021 Para World Series in Lewisville, TX. The trials are set to take place in Minneapolis, MN in June.

Sloan, who is a native of nearby Westminster, MD, has already put herself firmly on the map not only at the Mount, but within the Northeast Conference (NEC). Finding her best performance at the Towson Meet in February, she placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:39.04. The 100-yard breaststroke is one of three events Sloan will be competing in during the Paralympic Trials. She will also try her luck in the 100 freestyle and the 50 freestyle.

There is the obvious challenger that is standing between Hannah and a spot on the United States Paralympic team: the other competitors. However, there will be three internal competitors that will decide her fate in Minnesota, her body, mind, and spirit. She could not agree more to that point, saying "my biggest competitors will be myself and the clock."

Achieving a dream as high as the Paralympics is not a mere overnight accomplishment. Through her time at Winter Mills High School and Mount St. Mary’s, she has encountered plenty of learning experiences as well as opportunities to build toward her dreams. Sloan says that her first year at the Mount has especially served as a building block toward future success, claiming that "Swimming with a Division-I team has really allowed me to push my limits."

Throughout the Paralympic ranks, athletes, coaches, and fans alike often see that there are a host of sports where the athletes have been in their respective sport for most of their lives. Swimming would be included in that sporting demographic. Despite this commonly accepted practice, Sloan is relatively new to the swimming scene. Some would even have the means to call her a novice; however, she is the furthest thing. According to Sloan, "I have been swimming competitively for five years, and I found out about the Paralympics three years ago." Regardless of the results, fans will be treated to the stark contrast of a relative newcomer pinned against seasoned veterans.

Although the newfound attention within the swimming community has been a pleasant addition to Sloan’s growing career, it has not been sunshine and rainbows to get this point. Sloan was born with ataxic cerebral palsy, which is a rare form of cerebral palsy affecting only 5-10 percent of people who have CP. Her disability has become problematic in terms of her balance and coordination. This has all stemmed from a brain injury caused by a premature birth. Although competing with a disability presents its challenges, Sloan says that it is more of a motivator than a deterrent: "It has taught me to persevere and work twice as hard towards my goals." Learning to overcome one of life’s biggest obstacles has become a two-way street, as it has carried over from her athletic life into her personal day-to-day life.

Placing at the Paralympics let alone punching a ticket to the Games is an accomplishment that will live with the athlete for eternity. Whether Sloan earns a spot to Tokyo or not, the experience of going through the process of the Paralympics will serve as a steppingstone into her sophomore season. "I will use it as a way of measuring what I need to improve [upon] for the upcoming Paralympic competitions over the next three years leading up to the Games in Paris, France in 2024," said Sloan.

While securing a spot on the 2021 Paralympic team would be a dream come true for the rising sophomore, that is not necessarily the top priority heading into the biggest meet of her life. Sloan’s currently building the foundation to cement herself as a regular on the U.S. Paralympic team, with her eyes set on Paris 2024. Furthermore, making it this far has evidently become a blessing. "Qualifying for [the] Tokyo trials was an unexpected event in my journey to France. Whether I go to Tokyo or not, attending the trials will prepare me for the upcoming seasons."

The Tokyo Summer Games were originally planned for July-August 2020; however, they were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even halfway through 2021, to say that the culmination of the Games a year late is a miracle would be an absolute understatement. Despite a majority of the developed world being well into the vaccination process, many questions still remain as to how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are going to put together a smooth-running event. There still remains a vast population of the world that is not in the midst of the vaccination process. However, many of these athletes reside in countries from the "developing world." Not having every single athlete or coach vaccinated for the upcoming event poses a severe threat not only to the people attending the quadrennial sporting event, but as well as to the non-athletes residing in these countries.

The influence on both sides of the argument has been exhausting, as each party has created a metaphorical tug-of-war between one another. The pro-side of the argument is calling for the Games to be hosted in a full steam ahead mentality. Meanwhile, the demographic that is staunchly against it has advocated for the complete cancelation of the event. As we are nearly two months out from the Olympics and three months out from the Paralympics, it appears that the pro-side has won this battle. The IOC and IPC have routinely gone on record saying that the Games have been given the green light. Not to mention, a full-blown cancelation would devastate the Japanese and Tokyo economies. Nevertheless, the Tokyo Summer Games will be unlike any that we have ever experienced before.

If qualified, Sloan would become not only the first American Paralympian from Mount St. Mary’s, but she would also become the first-ever Paralympian from the Mount.

The Mount has seen athletes compete in track & field and women’s basketball while representing a total of nine countries dating back to the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Dita Krumberga is the last athlete from the Mount to compete in the Olympics, as she played on the Latvian Women’s Basketball team during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The 2020 Summer Paralympics are set to begin August 24 with the Opening Ceremonies and conclude on September 5 with the Closing Ceremonies. Swimming events are scheduled to commence on the first day of competition, August 25.