Taylor Winnett

Hometown: Hershey, PA

Personal Story: Taylor began swimming at the age of four, inspired by her mother, a swim coach, and her older sister, who was also a swimmer and once roomed with Katie Ledecky. Taylor’s life took a significant turn before her senior year of high school when she suffered a series of injuries, including herniated discs from a jet ski accident, a fractured vertebrae from a fall, and a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. These challenges led her to decommit from her planned collegiate swimming career at Loyola University Maryland, plunging her into a period of physical pain and depression.

It was her physical therapist at Johns Hopkins who encouraged her to return to swimming. Taylor took this advice and reconnected with her passion for the sport while studying biology and psychology at Loyola. She discovered Para swimming and quickly made strides in the sport, earning her classification in 2019 and making the emerging time cut in the 50-meter freestyle at a meet in New York. Taylor’s dedication to her sport is evident in her meticulous approach to goal-setting. Before the Parapan American Games, she created a detailed goal sheet outlining her target times and medal aspirations, which she brought to practice every day for motivation. This commitment paid off as she emerged from the games as the most decorated swimmer on Team USA. In her free time, Taylor enjoys cooking, baking, watching movies, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She is passionate about helping others and previously worked teaching children coping skills for mental health issues.

Physical Challenge: Ehlers–Danlos syndrome

Sport: Team USA Para Swimming

Social Media: Instagram