Swimmer travels to London
This year, one University of Indianapolis student athlete will compete for Team USA in the 2012 Paralympics.
Physical therapy major Dalton Herendeen is heading to London to compete in men’s swimming at the Paralympics.
Originally from Elkhart, Ind., Herendeen was a high school state finalist during his senior year. 
At the state finals, UIndy men’s swimming Head Coach Gary Kinkead spotted Herendeen.
“When I saw him at the high school state meet, he took off his prosthetic leg, and he stood there solid as a rock on one leg. He wasn’t swaying,” Kinkead said.
Herendeen is currently 19 years old and has lived most of his life with a prosthetic leg. Herendeen said that due to a blood clot, his left leg was amputated only weeks after his birth.
This did not stop Herendeen from competing with other kids.
Herendeen played many different sports throughout his youth, but when he reached high school, he decided to focus on just one sport.
“This [competing in the Paralympics] definitely means a lot,” Herendeen said. “Getting up every day for two-a-days and weights, giving up hanging out with friends, dieting—it’s a lot of sacrifices. But these are things that I think about, that I dream about, and pray about.”
Kinkead described Herendeen as a competitive athlete with a great work ethic and leadership qualities.
“Dalton doesn’t really have a mental handicap. He has a physical handicap, but he has used that to become a very strong mental person,” Kinkead said.
Herendeen will use these qualities to compete against much older and more experienced athletes in the pool, facing swimmers in their mid-to late-twenties.
Herendeen will compete in five individual events: 400 freestyle, 100 back, 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 IM.
“I definitely want to final in all my events. Take top eight in the morning, top eight at night, and then once you get to the top eight, try to be top three and medal,” Herendeen said.
Whether or not he wins a medal, Herendeen looks forward to the experience in London.
“Competing with team USA—just the whole experience—and when I get that cap with the flag and my name on it, that is going to be awesome,” Herendeen said.
Both Herendeen and Kinkead said that they anticipate great things for the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Paralympic games.
“Rio will be right at the end of my senior year of college,” Herendeen said. “I’ll definitely do my best to try to medal here [in London], I’ll do everything I can, and then there’s always the next time around.”
Kinkead will continue his work with Herendeen when he makes his return to UIndy.
Kinkead believes that the added experience and training will make Herendeen an even better medal candidate in 2016.
“He’s done a great job as an athlete, and he’s learning more. He’s still kind of a neophyte as far as understanding the complexities of what you need to be as a college swimmer. But he learned a lot this year as a freshman,” Kinkead said. “There’s not an end to his story. This is just the beginning of his story I think.”
Herendeen said that the UIndy swim program has been a huge help in his progress as a swimmer and that the school, professors and coaches have done a great job of supporting him in his trip to the Paralympics.
Herendeen said he hopes one day to use his degree to help others with disabilities.
Kinkead said he is impressed by the young athlete’s leadership, and how he helps others.
“He really amazed me because he told me he did a lot of presentations and talking to a lot of other children with disabilities and telling them ‘Hey, it can be done. It’s not what your handicap is physically, it’s what your handicap is mentally,’” Kinkead said.
Herendeen is currently in Germany, spending the rest of the time before the Paralympics training and preparing with other members of Team USA. The Paralympics will take place Aug. 29 through Sept. 9 in London.
