Time After Time
Jennifer Higgins hasn't just broken a few records in her time; she's helped bring her team-and her country-to victory, time and again
Whatever the time, whatever day of the week, Jennifer (Jenna) Anne Higgins would rather be swimming than studying. And understandably, hundreds of people are happier to see her in the water, rather than reading a book.
 |
Jennifer Anne Higgins (center) wins a gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle at the 3rd International Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Limerick, Ireland. Pictured here alongside silver-medalist Kirsteen Cooper from Canada (left) and bronze-medalist Sarah-Louise Casey from Great Britain (right). |
"Sport has played a big part in Jenna's life," says Barbara Higgins, Jennifer's mother. "She has always managed to achieve in the sporting field-unlike the academic arena!"
This past fall, Jennifer and 19 swimmers with intellectual disabilities competed against 139 swimmers from 16 countries at the 2006 World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships, held at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Impressively, Jennifer was the top swimmer. Triumphantly, she broke eight world records in the Down Syndrome International Swimming Organization and helped lead her team to victory as the winning country.
According to the Down Syndrome International Swimming Organization Jennifer, 22, is considered the top female swimmer with Down syndrome in South Africa, holding the best time records in categories including freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.
When she was an 8-year-old in Durban, South Africa, Jennifer became involved with Special Olympics. For almost a decade she was a keen gymnast at the Durban Y Gymnastic Club. At age 11, she began taking ice-skating lessons through Special Olympics and became so adapt in figure skating that in 1997, she competed in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Toronto, Canada, where she placed fourth in her category.
 |
Higgins in action. |
Living in a coastal resort, the Higgins family has always been big on water sport, and Jennifer delighted in splashing around with her two older brothers. Swimming independently as early as age 5, she began training in aquatics at age 13.
"Ever since, she has been included in a local swim squad in the community and she participates in galas organized by South Africa Sports Association for the Intellectually Impaired, as well as Level One galas with 'able-bodied' swimmers," says Higgins.
In October 2002, Jennifer participated in the first World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships, held in Reading, England. There, she received four gold awards: 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter freestyle, 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke. Overall, her South Africa team merited the most gold awards and world records.
A month earlier, Jennifer participated with the KwaZulu Natal team in the prestigious South Africa Games in Pretoria.
"This was the first time in the history of South Africa that a national sporting event of this magnitude included persons with disabilities?and Jennifer was the only swimmer with Down syndrome," Higgins says. "Jenna received two silver and two bronze medals at those Games."
Jennifer was also one of the four swimmers selected to represent South Africa at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, where she won two gold medals and one silver medal.
"Once again, she had the time of her life as a member of the team," says Higgins. "My husband and I were blown over by the magnitude of the whole event, and how we as parents were looked after. Talking to supporters from all over the world was so interesting. As parents, we all have one thing in common: our precious children."
Most recently, at the Third Annual South Africa Sports Awards held on 30 November 2006, Jennifer made her parents?and her country?proud by winning the award for "Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability." Her team also won "Team of the Year with a Disability."
"This is a breakthrough in the disability world, considering the sporting bodies have acknowledged that persons with Down syndrome should be recognized and included at this prestigious event," says Higgins. "We are indeed very proud of Jennifer's achievements."
While Jennifer is grateful for every opportunity to make her parents, coaches and teammates proud, her mother expresses gratitude to Special Olympics "for all the opportunities they make available to thousands of athletes around the world."
"Our youngsters' lives have been so blessed," Higgins says. "It is my hope that Special Olympics continues to grow and that more and more families will become involved with this remarkable movement."
by Victoria Colette Reynolds
|
