a refusal to fold by Arthur Beal III
Becoming a gold medalist is not just a goal, but a dream for every athlete. For some of the world’s best, it’s a dream that is never realized. Nine years after his first Paralympic Games appearance, professional swimmer Evan Austin, Eta Beta (Indiana State), became a gold medalist in 2021 at the postponed 2020 Paralympics. With this appearance, Austin would add two-time Paralympic medalist (bronze and gold) to his national championship to add to a legacy that is an inspiration to all. As an individual with a disability, Austin knew that this quest for greatness would not come without its share of difficulties. The man that is now a world-renowned professional athlete had as humble of a beginning as anyone could have ever realized. Before Evan Austin took his first stroke in the pool, he received a startling diagnosis. Austin was diagnosed with familial spastic paraparesis, a condition inherited from his mother. “As I grew, my muscles didn’t,” Austin described. “It now presents itself very similarly to cerebral palsy.”
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