Skill, courage, sharing, and joy are the four pillars that define a dedicated swimmer—a swimmer like Carly Puccio (11).

She’s a girl who has progressed in swimming alongside dealing with common assumptions about athletes with disabilities.

Carly was born with Down Syndrome. The Cleveland Clinic reports that 1 in 700 babies in the United States are born with this chromosomal condition, caused by an abnormal cell division resulting in extra genetic material that can cause intellectual delays. This means people who are diagnosed with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes instead of 46.

Carly is determined to prove that people with Down Syndrome can do the same things as anyone else. For her, that’s swimming.

“It makes me feel good to be the best that I can, and to race whenever I feel stressed out,” Carly said. “Swimming is my thing.”

Carly fell in love with swimming at six months old, following in the footsteps of her mom, who was also a swimmer. Her unquenchable thirst for improvement—whether it’s shaving time off or learning a new stroke—continues to lead her to success.

“I took her to swim when she was really little,” Tara Puccio, Carly’s mom, said. “As soon as she could go swimming at six months, she just always loved it. So we kept going from there.”

That is where Carly’s swimming journey began, and she has only grown and progressed since then.

“It’s been the great equalizer across her life,” Tara said. “It’s the one thing she’s been able to do with everybody in all aspects of life. So whether they have special needs or not, there’s just that mom’s perspective.”

Carly has always been athletic. Before she dedicated herself to swimming, there was competitive cheerleading—a sport that Carly didn’t particularly enjoy, but one that helped develop her work ethic.

“She had her specific role to play, whereas with swimming, she’s just kind of out there on her own,” Tara said.

The hard work and determination didn’t stop with competitive cheerleading. Instead, she applied that dedication to something she knew she was comfortable with and that she enjoyed—swimming. Throughout her journey, her growth and improvement in the sport have been noticed—not just by coaches, but teammates too.

“She dives into everything headfirst, without fear,” Carly’s teammate Eliza Lennox (12) said. “Carly is extremely enthusiastic. She’s super kind and she has a lot to say.”

Carly is highly motivated at practice, always looking for ways to improve her swimming and push herself and her teammates. She doesn’t hesitate to try challenging events. Instead, she seeks out those opportunities, something that does not go unnoticed by her coach.

“She is just another important member of our team,” Amber Austin, Carly’s coach, said. “She sets the bar very high—doing challenging things, being consistent with practice and training, and she always has a really good attitude and her outlook on life is very infectious. She is very encouraging and inspirational. She just reminds us constantly to see the good in everything.”

Coaches and teammates agree that she is sets an example of hard work, dedication and enthusiasm.

“Carly’s inspiring. She goes in and gives her best and gives her all in everything that she does,” Lennox said. “I’ve learned how to approach things in a way without fear from Carly—I’ve learned from her that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it.”

Accordind to Austin, Carly never settles for ‘good enough.’

“Carly is one of the hardest workers in the pool,” she said. “She has no quit in her and she just likes to keep going and going.”

Swimming has always been a sanctuary for Carly. The confidence and determination she’s developed shine through in every aspect of her life.

“We were just thrilled with anything that she could do, that she liked to do,” Tara said. “We were just trying to build confidence, kind of show how people with disabilities can compete just like anybody else.”

When challenges come along—whether it is a new event, or learning how to improve on diving—Carly’s family has built a solid support system, reminding her that hard work can get her anywhere.

“She keeps practicing. We tried a motivator with ‘You can do it!’ posters around the house, like, ‘You can dive!’” Tara said.

While Carly swims primarily through high school, she also participates in other leagues that expand her opportunities in the sport. One of those leagues is the Special Olympics.

“There is a real sense of community on the Special Olympic swim team, and I think that helps her to swim on the Monarch swim team,” Special Olympics coach Wendy Baumert said.

Being a part of the Special Olympics league has not only grown Carly’s love for the sport, but it has also brought her lifelong friendships and community—gained through training with other athletes who are competing with disabilities.

The environment the team builds goes so much deeper than just swimming.

“The sense of community, the sense of belonging, the camaraderie, and the teamwork bring everyone together, even though swimming is a little bit of an individual sport,” Baumert said.

Special Olympic athletes take a pledge when they join the league—a pledge that perfectly summarizes Carly’s swimming journey: ‘Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’

“She swims in the summer league. She swims Special Olympics,” Tara said. “It’s great to see her so happy and to have her succeed after putting in all the time and effort.”