After almost drowning in her neighbor’s pool, Elise Morley began swimming lessons at the insistence of her mother. Swimming wasn’t love at first stroke for Elise; it wasn’t until she joined a competitive swim team at the age of nine that she became passionate about the sport. Born without a left hand, 18-year-old Elise is now a member of the U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Team and on her way to represent USA at this month’s Parapan American Games in Lima Peru.

When not wearing the Red, White & Blue, Elise swims for the Bluefish Swim Team out of Attleboro and Paralympic Sport Club Boston, a program of Adaptive Sports New England.  She previously swam for her local YMCA team and for Norton High School. Team is important to Elise. Not only does she love swimming she loves the community that swimming has given her. “I love being part of a team where I can grow with the team and watch them grow as people and swimmers” Elise said. “I have learned that you can be a positive influence on people without even knowing it.” Elise thrives out of the pool when she can give a kind word or pep talk to a teammate who had a bad swim that day

Elise did not get to where she is today without some challenges along the way. Elise notices that whenever she goes to meets “some people don’t know you have a disability or who you are, it’s an uncomfortable feeling, but also motivating to prove you deserve to be there.” Elise proves to those around her in the pool that she deserves a spot, ultimately inspiring everyone around her to push themselves to be better like Elise does everyday.

Elise will be swimming on the swim team at Wheaton College in the fall and she could not be more excited about it. She stated the reason she wants to go to Wheaton college is “everyone there is incredibly kind, and friendly, so willing to help out in any way she needs.” Elise said she is most looking forward to meeting new people on campus and being exposed to new ideas in the classroom. Choosing to major in Biology, Elise is not only taking on challenging training in the pool, she is also taking on challenging material in the classroom.

When asked about her future goals for swimming, Elise humbly replied that she will keep asking herself these three important questions: “Can I get any faster? How good can I get? And what is the best I can do?” This speaks to Elise’s character of quiet persistence and determination, always putting in the work necessary while asking herself these three critical questions. Elise summarized her future goals by saying “It’s really about pushing through the pain and honing your craft.”

Elise not only strives to become a better swimmer in the pool everyday she strives to be the most supportive teammate she can be outside the pool, ultimately inspiring everyone around her to do the same. Elise sets the tone for excellence in and out of the water.  Now a senior member of the Paralympic Sport Club Boston swim team, Elise has important advice for her younger teammates and other future para athletes who are also competing with a disability. “work hard and be willing to take chances, because that’s when the magic happens.”