Joey Peppersack

The Backstory:
Joey Peppersack was born with tibial hemimelia, with a missing shin bone, which lead to a series of surgeries. Ultimately, his right leg was amputated above the knee at just four years old. At age nine he began swimming and just a few years later was breaking American Paralympic records. This brought attention from recruiters and Peppersack found his place at the University of Mary Washington. During his time there, he has competed at the 2017 Can-Am Open, getting gold in three events. He went on to swim at the 2018 World Para Swimming Series, earning two silvers and a bronze and again taking home two silvers and a bronze at the 2019 World Para Swimming Series. Peppersack also competed at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, earning a silver medal in the 100m backstroke.

Away from swimming:
Peppersack attended and graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 2021 with a degree in economics. He is temporarily living in Colorado at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he is enjoys getting outdoors and pushing himself to do new things.

In their own words:
“At some schools it’s difficult to allow someone who may not keep up with everyone on your team, but the moment you do, it’s a major training boost to almost every other swimmer on the team. I have friends here on the team who will say, ‘You know, Joey, I was thinking about slacking today, until I saw you creeping up beating me.’”

“It’s super important to have a very diverse team and somebody who holds other athletes accountable.”

“When I’m in the water, I’m not, like, bound to gravity at all,” Peppersack said after a recent early-morning practice. “Swimming is just kind of a freedom. That’s why I stuck with it.”

“The pandemic has definitely made things more difficult than they would have been, but I’m lucky enough to have a coach who had pretty much planned everything out so that our team has every opportunity to at least practice every day of the week.”

Learn More:
Team USA Page
IPC Page
Team USA: “Swimmer Joey Peppersack Looks Back On College Career And Ahead to Paralympics Pursuit”