Amiera Black made waves in her debut at the World Down Syndrome swimming championships.
From Oct. 15-23, Black, 16, competed at the 10th World Down Syndrome Swimming and Artistic Championships in Albufeira, Portugal. Twenty-three countries competed in the championships and Black was one of 163 swimmers filling the lanes.
She performed in the junior division, which was reserved for swimmers 16 and under – though no one under the age of 16 competed. As one of the youngest in the competition, she did incredibly well, winning four bronze medals, four silver medals, and achieving her personal best in a number of categories.
StratfordToday met with Black and her mother Jennifer Black to talk about her success, her journey to Portugal, and what’s next.
Jennifer said that they didn't even know the competition existed before last December. At a swim meet, other parents urged her to compete. After raising funds with help from the community, they were able to go.
When they got to Portugal, the Black family had no idea how she would do. Amiera practices four to six times per week and swims with Swim Ontario but only with swimmers without Down Syndrome. There was no way to gauge how she compared to her peers. That changed at the championships.
“You could see it when she swam,” her mother said. “She realized that she was right in the mix of everybody. She looked (and thought) ‘they’re right there. I can beat them’ … You could see the change in her swimming, because all of a sudden she was on equal ground.”
Amiera ranked high overall and second in the junior division. Most importantly, she performed her best in many different races.
In the junior division she came in first in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke, and the 100m butterfly. She was runner-up in the 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, and 100m medley. She attained a regional record in the 100m medley, 100m freestyle, and 100m butterfly.
Amiera and her family have been swimming for a long time. The whole family got into swimming when they lived in Goderich. So close to the lake, Jennifer prioritized swimming lessons for her children. All of them took to it like fish to water.
“We call them the ‘Blackfish'," she said with a laugh.
Jennifer said that she has always told her kids that they should only pursue competing if that’s what they want to do. It’s important to work hard, though only if it makes you happy. For her daughter, that’s what makes her happy, she said.
Amiera also practices with Swim Ontario, but never gets to compete in the Special Olympics. Jennifer expressed frustration with how the Special Olympics classifies swimmers.
She said that as it is now, swimmers with Down Syndrome are grouped in the same category as swimmers with mental impairment, S14. As she pointed out, swimmers with Down Syndrome have other factors at play, such as low muscle tone.
It was great to see her daughter on an equal playing field and competing with peers.
The family is thinking about competing at an event in Argentina - the Canadian Down Syndrome swim team has been invited but the cost is a hurdle and after an expensive trip to Portugal, might not be attainable.
At the moment, Amiera is focused on one thing: “Making mom happy.”
Mother and daughter thanked everyone that contributed to her journey, including friends, family and community. In Jennifer’s words, it couldn’t have happened without their generosity.
Those interested in supporting Amiera's further journey can do so at her GoFundMe page.
