Aisling Beacom from Wicklow Town was one of 126 athletes who represented Ireland at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
Beacom participated in both the 800m pool event and the 1.5 km sea swim.
It wasn’t the first time that she had represented Ireland on the international stage. Through the Special Olympics Ireland’s Athlete Leadership Programme, the swimmer visited the United Nations in New York, participated in the RCP Tiburon Mile in San Francisco twice, and volunteered at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in China.
Photo shows Team Ireland swimmer Aisling Beacom with her bronze medal in the 800m freestyle with her brother Shane in Athens.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.