Pushed by the odds
Laura Schwanger’s competitive drive got
her into the adaptive World Rowing
Championship final less than a year after
she took up the sport. That drive then
earned her a Paralympic bronze medal a
year later. How did this rowing apprentice
get to the top so quickly?
© 2008 Feng Li/Getty Images
Born in 1958, Schwanger was diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis (MS) as a 23–year-old while
serving in the United States army. This changed
Schwanger’s course of life confining her to a
wheelchair, but opening her up to the world
of Paralympic sport. “I am paralysed from the
bellybutton down, so I’m in a wheelchair. The MS is
primary progressive so I went downhill rapidly,” says
Schwanger. “I was part of experimental treatment at
the time and now the MS has gone into remission.”
while receiving a routine mammogram, Schwanger
was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Cancer altered Schwanger’s life again, turning
her towards rowing and back to Paralympic
Games competition. “After I completed breast
cancer treatment I was weak and pathetic,” says
Schwanger. “A friend of mine who runs the
Philadelphia adaptive rowing programme asked
me if I wanted to try rowing. I had rowed once
in college about 30 years ago in an eight. I had
tried rowing once since and didn’t really enjoy
it as using just your arms is a much different
feel, it’s so much slower. But after cancer I had
a different perspective. Rowing helped get my
strength back.”
“There was one other female who was the main
competition of me getting on the US team,” says
Schwanger, “I had to go up against [2006 World
Rowing Championship silver medallist] Patricia
Rollison. “That gave me added incentive. I was the
underdog so there was no pressure on me.”
Laura Schwanger (far right) with
the Paralympic bronze medal that
she won in Beijing, in 2008, in the
adaptive single. Helene Raynsford
of Great Britain won gold and
Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus won
silver.
Schwanger first competed in the Paralympic
Games in 1988 where she won four gold medals.
She continued on for two more Games adding
another seven medals to her collection. A track
and field athlete, Schwanger competed in shotput,
discus, javelin and pentathlon.
In 2007 Schwanger won the adaptive single at the US
Rowing National Championships therefore making
the team to compete at that year’s World Rowing
Championships. Schwanger finished sixth, qualifying
the boat for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
After the 1996 Games in Atlanta Schwanger called
it a day. “It stopped being as much fun. I went back
to school and went back to work,” says Schwanger
simply. But life was to take another turn and in 2006,
Schwanger’s competitive nature also helped her
jump full on into rowing. “I’m very competitive
to begin with so I like a challenge. I like being on
the water and being outside and rowers are super
friendly. I’ve met some great people.”
Leading up to Beijing, Schwanger committed
herself 100 per cent to rowing. “I was lucky enough
to be retired so I had some freedom. I travelled
around the country looking for warm places to
row, out of cold Philadelphia. I went to California
and Florida for a week to 10 days every month. It
gave me a leg up in terms of water time. Then I
also trained in the gym and did erg training. I was
training six days a week, two times a day for >
