Alyssia Crook

The Backstory:
Alyssia Crook was born with popliteal pterygium syndrome and at age five she was adopted from a Ukraine orphanage by U.S. couple, Chad and Karen Crook. At age 13 she decided to amputate her left leg below the knee after having multiple treatments to save it.  After some trial and error finding the team and coach to train with, Crook found her place with Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics (MLA) at Holland Community Aquatic Center. She went on to train at the Colorado Springs Olympics Training center and in 2019 she won a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. At this event she competed in her very own swim cap, with both her last name and the U.S. flag on it, a lifelong dream of hers. Competing and winning at the Paralympics has been her next goal, one she stands a good chance to achieve.

Away from swimming:
Crook is still in Colorado and takes advantage of the adventures in her backyard. She spends her fair share of time outside, climbing, hiking, camping and soaking up the scenery with her friends. She is outspoken in encouraging others to go for their dreams and sharing how she achieved so many goals in her life.

In their own words:
“My goal was to get a black cap with an American flag and ‘Crook’ on it. That cap with your name means you earned it to represent Team USA. I earned that. I worked for that. Wearing that cap means so much. Don’t get me wrong, the medal was amazing, but that cap is so valuable to me. That was the cap I told my coach I wanted, and she didn’t believe it. It is the best gift I ever got.”

“It was definitely hard. When I first started, a club team didn’t believe in my dreams and my goals. That definitely hurt me a lot. Anything is possible through God, your family and yourself when you say you can do it…When I got selected to represent Team USA, going to the biggest meet I have ever gone to, I stood my ground. Anything is possible.”

Learn More:
Team USA Page
IPC Page
Holland Sentinel: “MLA Swimmer Alyssia Crook Wins Bronze at Parapan American Games”