Medals chime as senior Kate Coffman lifts her arms and smiles. The numerous awards weighing down her arms are a testament to her talent. As a competitor in the 2013 Special Olympics, Kate has found a home in the water.

Kate’s swimming career began when her parents noticed she spent as much time as possible in the backyard pool. They signed her up for lessons at 4-years-old and she began swimming competitively when she was 7. She says her mom is her biggest fan.

“I remember being surprised when I beat the national swimmers when I first joined. It made me feel like I’d really accomplished something,” Coffman said.

Kate will be participating this summer in the 2013 Special Olympics in New Jersey. The Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for individuals with intellectual disabilities and provides year-round training and competitions to more than 4.2 million athletes in 170 countries.

“The best advice I’ve gotten is to just try your best and don’t let them get ahead of you,” Coffman said.

Until the big competition, Kate will continue to practice and compete in meets, each stroke bringing her closer to gold.