10-15-2023 Women to Watch - Flipbook - Page 6
Q&A
Jessica
Long
A discussion with the
Paralympic swimmer
By Mike Klingaman
HANDOUT
essica Long, the Russian American
swimmer from Middle River, has an
impressive resume that includes 29
Paralympic medals, 37 world titles and the
2006 James E. Sullivan Award as the nation’s
best amateur athlete. She has recently added
children’s author to that list. Long spoke with
The Baltimore Sun ahead of her keynote
address at the Women to Watch networking
event in October to talk about perseverance,
resilience and overcoming adversity.
J
If you could travel back in time, what
advice would you give your younger self?
Smile a bit more and be proud of yourself.
I was always thinking about the next gold
medal, the next record. I’d tell myself to sit
down and take it all in because it goes so fast.
and, one day, will end.
Do you see yourself as a pioneer, and
what does that mean to you?
For me, being a pioneer means fighting for
those who can’t speak out and inspiring the
next generation to never give up. There was
a time, for me, when winning meant that was
where all of my value was, and that all of my
worth came from the gold medal. I do love
6 | 2023 | WOMEN TO WATCH
the pressure but, at times, I want to remind
people that I have remained on top for 19
years, and sometimes it’s OK if I don’t win.
I’m not just a swimmer, I’m a person who
loves to swim.
How do you respond to kids with
disabilities who are struggling now?
It’s inevitable that you’re going to struggle;
there are going to be some really tough days.
Embrace your differences — your difference
is your greatest gift. That’s the message of my
[children’s] book, “The Mermaid with No
Tail.”
I never wanted to blend in; I always
wanted to stand out, and not having legs is a
pretty impressive way to stand out. The only
disability in life is a negative attitude. I can’t
control the fact that I have no legs, but I can
control my attitude. There’s so much power
in choice. The power of positivity is important.
You once said, “I didn’t get this far to only
get this far.” What does that mean?
I don’t want to just be good, I want to be
the best. After the 2016 Paralympics, where
I didn’t have the performance I’d liked, I
was ready to quit. What helped was giving
back to the community. I helped coach the
girls’ swim team at St. Paul’s School, which
allowed me to fall back in love with the sport.
So much good came from taking a step back,
and giving back to Baltimore.
What is still on your bucket list to
accomplish?
I have 29 medals, so getting into the 30s,
at the Paralympics in Paris next year, sounds
pretty cool. I’d like to end my career at [the
Games in] Los Angeles in 2028, on home
soil. I’d love to someday have a foundation,
because I have a heart for adoption. I have a
self-help book [being published] next year.
And I love public speaking. Nothing is out of
reach.
What would you like your legacy to be?
Obviously, the medals have given me a
name; anyone who has heard of the Paralympics, through my story, is definitely a win for
me. [But] more than anything, I hope to be
remembered for my character, both in and
out of the pool. You can have all the medals
in the world but, if you’re not a nice person,
that’s not impressive.