ENGLEFELD — A local swimmer has returned from the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games with two medals.
When in the United Arab Emirates, Tia Zimmerman won gold in the 4x50 metre freestyle relay, bronze in the 800-metre freestyle and fourth in the 400-metre freestyle.
“It was good,” Tia said, “I was nervous a lot, but that’s just any competition.”
When it came to the relay, Tia said she knew her team would do well, as they had placed first in the preliminaries.
“Korea and Australia were closer together than we were to them, so I knew there was a better chance that we’d win,” she said.
Tammy Zimmerman, Tia’s mother, watched the event.
“She was the second swimmer and actually did really well, because they were behind and she caught them up and surpassed the second person that was swimming against her. She got them actually so they were back into gold-medal contention.”
In the end, Team Canada finished the relay with a time of 3:08.16. Team Korea was second at 3:15.81 and Team Australia third at 3:41.22.
Tia said she wasn’t that surprised by winning the gold medal.
“There was still a chance that we wouldn’t get first, but we had the best chance.”
In the 800-metre freestyle, Tia clocked a time of 18:22.34, placing third, something that wasn’t immediately obvious because there were two divisions competing at the same time. The second-place winner from Trinidad and Tobago came in at 18:19.30.
Tia said she didn’t find the 800-metre particularly fun.
“I don’t really like distance events. I’m better at them then sprinting – I just don’t like them.”
At the world summer games, Tia beat her previous best in the event by about a minute.
In the 400-metre freestyle, Tia clocked in at 8:50.38. The third-place swimmer from Australia came in at 8:22.06
The swimming events were held in Dubai, as host city Abu Dhabi didn’t have the proper swimming facilities.
While Tia spent most of her time at the pool, she did get to do some sightseeing. She went on a camel ride, did some dune bashing, visited the gold market and went to the movie-themed Motiongate theme park. She also stopped at a local school along with her fellow competitors.
Tia said if she has the chance to compete in the worlds again, she’d take it, as it was a great chance to travel and leave the country.
The swimmer also acknowledged the support back home, as well as her swim coach Deb Stumborg.
