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.”

Familial spastic paraparesis, as defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, refers to a group of inherited disorders that are characterized by progressive weakness and stiffness of the legs. What makes FSP different is a dormancy associated with the disease. People diagnosed can often live normal lives then suddenly wake up and feel a change in lower body movement. Austin’s mother didn’t present symptoms until her early 40s, while Austin’s first symptoms occurred while he was a toddler. He was diagnosed at the age of three, which made his condition a normal part of life. He credits his mom as an integral figure in teaching him how to live with FSP since she was going through the same disorder. She and his father taught him, “You have to play the cards you were dealt, and we don’t plan on folding, so let’s make it work.”

Austin grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, with an able-bodied, athletic sibling, Aaron, who he looked up to. As a young boy, Austin played soccer and Little League baseball. That’s when others started to notice his physical differences. When Austin started to be left behind when running with the other kids, his parents knew something needed to change.

His parents decided not to bring attention to his disability until necessary. Miracles happen daily, and Austin’s parents wanted their son to fit in as an athlete for as long as he could. “Life is a journey and as things arrive, we’ll pivot” was his parents’ mindset.

While watching other kids become faster and stronger than him, Austin’s frustration started to build. Austin comes from a family with athletic genes, and when he watched his brother, he knew there was room for him in some athletic space. He wasn’t going to let a lifelong diagnosis stop him. Austin has been a competitor since he could first step on any playing field. “I wanted to fulfill my competitive passions more than just being the kid that couldn’t keep up,” Austin said.

Fulfilling those competitive passions pushed him into the deep end as a kid learning to swim. Austin has always enjoyed being in the water because it’s a different sensation. While in school, he faced his fair share of bullies, but there was a period of solace when he hit the water. “The water was like a set of blinders. I could block out the noise, plus I knew my brother couldn’t swim at all, so having a competitive advantage over him made me want it that much more. Even though my brother is now in his 30s, he still holds his nose when jumping in,” Austin said jokingly.

Austin was 10 or 11 when he got this different feeling when he swam. He started to relish the individuality of his sport. Even when it came to practice, Austin couldn’t wait to dive into the pool. He attributes his success to that passion. At one point, a guy who felt all alone was destined for greatness in a sport that puts the pressure all on you.

Austin parlayed the individual pressure into a tenacious work ethic as he pressed toward his goals. “For the offseason, I may take a week, then it’s right back to the grind,” he said.

He went right back to the grind after training for four years and becoming a Paralympic alternate in 2008 at the age of 15. Even after a record-setting performance, Austin was named the first alternate for the men’s team that would compete in Beijing. He placed 21st with the top 20 finishers qualifying to the 2008 Olympic Games, all during high school. Austin had the pressure of attempting a professional swimming career while in the middle of exams and standardized academic tests.

He made his first Paralympic team in 2012 and followed it up with another appearance in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. His hunger for more continued into 2019 when he won a world championship. “To be forever known as a world champion definitely made it easier to breathe,” he explained.

With that accolade, Austin knew he could become a Paralympic medalist. He knew his family’s sacrifice had not been in vain, and he also knew it was time for more. Austin had prepared for the 2020 Paralympics, but then the entire world stopped because of the global pandemic. The coronavirus halted Austin’s plans to compete for Tokyo. This was demoralizing, and he had to consider what it would take to keep himself ready for competition. Through the doubts of what the pandemic meant for his future, Austin had a decision to make. He could be content with his world title or wait it out and bring his best for Tokyo. He was ready when the year-long delay was over and finally won his hardware.

Austin won his first medal, a bronze, in the 400-meter freestyle. Once again, that feeling of freedom from getting that win was unimaginable. As he headed into his last competition, the 50-meter butterfly, he knew he had one more shot at gold and it would be one of his closest races.

“Everyone before me on Team USA had won gold and it wasn’t going to stop with me. It was a close race, and I knew if I could hit the wall before Ukraine’s Andrii Trusov, I was going to beat him,” Austin said.

Austin beat Trusov by .73 seconds to win his first gold medal. “I had to find my teammates, but in my mind, I could only imagine how my family was celebrating.” Like many of us have had to do, Evan Austin pushed through despite the pandemic. Austin moved his training from Colorado to Indiana to get ready for the Paralympics to be closer to his family. When going through the mental anguish of the pandemic, Austin took some time to relax and train with a friend in New York. Whether it was sports psychologists, family, friends, or fraternity brothers, Austin used his relationships to better prepare himself for the Games.

“There was so much positivity that surrounded me. This support has honestly been life-changing,” Austin explained. “To know that I have a part in enriching their lives—that’s the whole point of all of this because of their lifetime of sacrifice.”

When he reflected upon that support, Austin couldn’t forget about Pi Kappa Phi. As a collegian, it took him no time to decide to become a member of Eta Beta Chapter. The Ability Experience sold him because as Austin says, “Who can’t get behind helping people?”

“It’s not what everyone thinks you’ll remember that sticks with you. But instead, it’s the time you gave someone who didn’t have it that chance to go to prom,” he explained.

Austin made it his goal to be heavily involved in the Ability Experience. “If I had guys like Pi Kapps who could’ve made me feel special when I went through the worst part of my diagnosis, that would’ve changed everything,” he mused.

Austin will never say never to another run for the Paralympics, but he has goals for when he puts his goggles away. He currently serves as the women's swimming Volunteer Assistant Coach at Purdue University, and he wants to continue coaching up-and-coming swimmers. There is also chatter of Austin traveling around the world to tell his story as a public speaker.

The Paralympic Gold Medalist and world champion has a story that relies on determination and support. For Austin, it’s always worth getting to the end of the pool. “You only evolve when you get knocked down, because the outcome you want feels better when you can look back to where you’ve come from.”

Evan Austin speaks to Pi Kapp College for Chapter Officers attendees in 2020.