Although she has lived her life around the water, Laura Dennison did not find her way to competitive swimming until later than many. Born in Senegal, with cerebral palsy limiting the use of her lower limbs and causing spasticity in her hands, Laura was living in Niger until she was 4 when she needed a major surgery. She came to Boston Children’s Hospital and was in and out of the hospital for about the next year, later moving to grow up in Vermont. After graduating high school, she moved out to school at Western New England College and followed that with a move south to complete her master’s in special education from the University of Alabama.
It was in while in Alabama, rehabbing an injury in the pool at the Lakeshore Foundation, she met 6-time Paralympian Aimee Bruder, who encouraged her to try competitive swimming. Laura took her up on it and trained with Bruder until moving back to New England. During her time in the water, Laura has many moments she looks on fondly. The emotion she felt after making her first Can-Am cut to qualify for a national level meet comes to mind but more than that it is the mark she is trying to leave on the sport. Citing the limited sport options she had in high school, Laura is committed to creating more inclusion in sport. One way is through her work as the para athlete chair for the NE Masters Swimming board to create more opportunities for athletes with disabilities and to support others to be athletic. “I want to make sport better for the people after me – for everyone but particularly those that don’t find swimming until later. Sports is a powerful tool to change perceptions. I may not be the fastest in the water (I sure try) but this can be my contribution to swimming and the larger Paralympic movement.”
Laura is clearly a people person who likes to engage others, so it makes sense that she both works at the Perkin’s School for the Blind in their special education department and has been a mentor to a now 20-year-old woman for the past 12 years. She is also active, enjoying surfing, biking, watching Alabama football with her friends, and working with her personal trainer Tim Morris. With some help from Morris, Laura has been able to adapt to our current circumstances regarding COVID by swimming outside, focusing on strength building, and even performing workouts at playgrounds when necessary.
For Laura, swimming and sport are about a few simple things. Swimming itself is a place where she can feel weightless and free to move, helping to clear her head of the busy day. Disability sport in general has been a source of camaraderie and lifelong friendships. A community that is accepting without a need for explanation. Sharing these positive experiences with others and growing our community is at the heart of why Laura is continuously moving forward.
