American Paralympic swimmer Christy Reilly-Crossley set a world record Thursday in her Paralympic Games debut in Paris.
The 37-year-old from Toms River, New Jersey, smashed the previous record by a impressive 27.28 seconds in the 50-metre freestyle in the S9 class, which includes swimmers with muscle weakness, limb amputations and coordination problems.
But then she made her way onto social media.
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Crossley told reporters on Thursday that she had been inundated with comments and messages on social media accusing her of faking her disability.
“I went from celebrating my world record to feeling totally devastated that the whole world seemed to think I was cheating and faking the holes in my brain and the cysts in my spinal cord,” she said.
Crossley was hit by a drunk driver in 2007, suffering neck and back injuries, and then in 2008 was involved in a hit-and-run accident that left her with brain damage, her lawyers said. Team USA Official ProfileThen in 2018, she developed left-side hemiplegia due to bleeding from an unknown blood tumor in her brain.
She had previously trained to compete as an Olympic swimmer, but an injury put that dream on the back burner. She watched the 2021 Tokyo Games and decided to aim for the 2024 Paralympics. She took part in para swimming the following year, but claims she has been questioned about her disability ever since.
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Silver medalist Christy Rowley-Crossley of the United States team reacts after the women's 50m freestyle S10 final during the first day of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Paris-La Defense Arena on August 29, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
“It's pretty devastating to have online bullies tell me that just because I can swim faster than them doesn't mean I'm as disabled as I appear to be,” Crossley said. “My family see my disability every day and what it robs of my family life, what it robs of me as a person and a woman. It's just awful.”
After setting a new world record and returning to the Athletes Village, Crossley had just a few hours to prepare for the 50m freestyle final in her class. Although the criticism and hateful comments plagued her, she returned to La Défense Arena that evening hoping for a chance at a medal. Crossley won the silver medal in the women's 50m freestyle S10 behind China's Chen Yi, who broke the world record.
In a personal essay posted to Today.com on Friday, Crossley claimed she didn't even know she was eligible to compete in the Paralympics until she decided to do so.
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Team USA athlete Christy Rowley-Crossley competes in the women's 50m freestyle S10 final during the first day of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at Paris-La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France on August 29, 2024. (Ian McNicol/Getty Images)
“I didn't know I was eligible to compete in the Paralympics and had no idea what the requirements were. It wasn't that I was hesitant to participate in Paralympic sport, I just didn't know it was an option. I was ignorant, and I imagine that's the same for many athletes who have suffered life-changing injuries,” she wrote.
Ms Crossley also claims her condition has had a severe impact on her life, although she previously did not want to reveal how serious her condition actually was.
“To be honest, I didn't want to acknowledge the severity of my disability. I had muscle spasms and immobility on my left side and tried to hide it,” she wrote. “I use a wheelchair every day and sometimes walk with forearm crutches when my muscles aren't so spasmed. But it still takes a toll on my body.”
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