Tessa Brown
Physical Challenge: Trilateral amputee
Hometown: Austin, TX
Sports: Swimming
Tessa was born in Ethiopia completely missing both her legs and her right arm above the elbow. She was adopted when she was 1.5 years old by her parents, Meagan and Chase, and her older brother who is also adopted and an amputee, Elias.
Tessa started swimming before she turned 2, and her activity in the water has helped her gain strength that transferred to improvements in her mobility outside of the water (like climbing stairs and sitting up). She was able to compete in the Endeavor Games when she was younger, and the thrill of the event turned her into a competitive athlete. She is still a young athlete but has dreams of swimming at the next level and winning big events in her future.
In The Media:
YMCA adaptive program helps girl born without legs learn to swim | Austin 360