Athlete Spotlight: Trischa Zorn: More Olympic Golds than Phelps

Zorn competing

When people think of the most decorated Olympian, it is common to think of Michael Phelps, who has the world record of 28 Olympic medals (23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze). He is no doubt the most decorated athlete in the regular Olympics, but he is actually only ranked sixth in the Olympic medal count when including the Paralympic athletes. The honor of having the most medals is given to Trischa Zorn, an American Paralympic swimmer who competed in every Olympics from 1980 to 2004. 

Early Career:

Zorn competing in her signature backstroke event

Zorn started swimming at an early age and had already been swimming with her sister for the Mission Viejo Nadadores at the age of ten. She became the first visually impaired athlete to be granted a Division 1 NCAA scholarship and was a 4-time all-American in the backstroke for the University of Nebraska. Impressively, Zorn had always been swimming with unimpaired swimmers even when she competed in the 1980 Olympic trials at the age of 16 when she narrowly missed a spot by one-one hundredth (1/100) of a second in the backstroke. She was then accepted to the 1980 Paralympics where she could compete with others with the same disability as her. 

Disability:

Born with a rare genetic eye condition called Aniridia, Zorn was left legally blind and could only see a few feet in front of her at the most. The condition is characterized by a lack of an iris in the eye, rendering the eyes incapable of properly focusing light. A fully functioning iris should be able to close or open to adjust to the levels of light, but Zorn’s eyes are unable to do so. She is constantly blinded by light similar to how a normal person sees after suddenly going from a dark place into the sunlight. 

Paralympic Career:

At the age of 16, Zorn traveled to the Netherlands by herself to compete in the Paralympic Games of 1980, where she won every event she competed in and received 7 gold medals. She decided to compete again in the 1984 Paralympic Games in New York where she once again won all her events, leaving with 10 golds. The 1988 Paralympics was a big step forward for the event because it had finally merged with the Olympics and was being held at the same venues. She would participate once again, winning gold in all 12 of her events. The 1992 Paralympics came with a restructuring of all events and this forced Zorn to compete with less disabled competitors. She won her first silver that year. Zorn would continue competing until her last Paralympics in 2004 while also becoming an advocate for the rights of disabled athletes in the last decade of her career. She was the chosen flag-bearer for the U.S. in the 1996 Olympics closing ceremony and in the same year she advocated for a program where disabled athletes would be able to access the U.S. Olympic Training Center. 

Post-Swimming:

Zorn retired following the 2000 Paralympic games in order to pursue law, but she decided to return to swimming in 2002. Her casual participation in competitions led to her desire to compete in the 2004 Paralympics for the last time. Although her medal haul couldn’t compare with her early days, Zorn’s single bronze medal in the backstroke was something she was immensely proud of because she considered it to be a tribute to her mom who had just passed away from breast cancer. This was the final chapter of her swimming career, as Zorn would pivot to law, becoming an attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Zorn was recognized for her decorated life as a swimmer when she was inducted into the International Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2012, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2022, and finally the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2023. 

Conclusion:

Zorn's medal haul

Trischa Zorn was a talented Paralympic swimmer who dominated the pool throughout her career and was also a trailblazer for the Paralympic community. She is the most decorated Olympian of all time with 55 Olympic medals (41 gold, 9 silver, and 5 bronze medals). 

Sources:

“Trischa Zorn - ISHOF.” ISHOF, 1 June 2024, https://ishof.org/honoree/trischa-zorn/.

Fenzel, Whitney. “Trischa Zorn-Hudson | Paralympic Swimming | U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.” United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum, 10 Oct. 2022, https://usopm.org/trischa-zorn-hudson/.

“Sport Week: Paralympic Legend Trischa Zorn Recalls Her Glory Days.” International Paralympic Committee, 22 Apr. 2016, https://www.paralympic.org/news/sport-week-paralympic-legend-trischa-zorn-recalls-her-glory-days.

APH — Blinded by the Light. https://sites.aph.org/physical-education/articles/blinded-by-the-light/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024.

KappaDeltaSorority. “My KD Story - Trischa Zorn-Hudson.” YouTube, 25 July 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mkukqr9yLY. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024. ‌