Utah Tech University Swimmer Beats the Odds and Breaks School Records

By Kaylee Cluff, Senior, Utah Tech University

With three school records broken and five medals won at the Western Athletic Conference, Ally Boynton is one of Utah Tech’s top swimmers. Ally casually picked up swimming after being inspired by the Olympics at age eleven. The thrill of racing and competing made her fall in love with the sport and led her to a successful high school swimming career.

Two years ago, Ally was finishing out her final high school swim competition and was ready to start a new chapter in her life as a swimmer at Utah Tech when she started experiencing pain in her arm. She assumed it was tendinitis and ignored it. Later, Ally’s arm began to swell and turn purple, leading her to seek medical attention. Doctors determined she had a blood clot, and she was rushed to the hospital because the clotted vein led to her heart.

Ally was diagnosed with Paget-Schrotter syndrome, a rare condition in which the first rib and muscle compress on the vein underneath, causing blood clots to form. She underwent surgery to remove her first rib, but four days post-surgery, her body reacted negatively to some medication, causing internal bleeding.

“All of that pressure caused my organs on my left side to move to my right side, and my lung collapsed,” Ally said. “Luckily, I had strong lungs because of swimming, so I was able to recover from that.”

After twelve days in the hospital and three additional surgeries to remove excess blood and put in another drain, Ally was finally able to return home. But she still had a long road to recovery ahead of her. “After my surgery, I started at square one. I had to learn new swim strokes, get my arm strength back, and reteach myself how to swim,” she said.

Ally described her first time back in the pool as “a toddler taking her first steps.” She wasn’t able to swim as fast as she could prior to her hospital stay, but she reminded herself that six months prior, she couldn’t get out of bed without passing out.

“When I dove in for that first time, I knew I would be able to get through all of this and be able to swim fast again,” Ally said. “After I swam to the other side of the pool and back, I came up and started crying; I missed it so much. This is what I am supposed to do.”

Now, Ally is not only breaking swim records and earning medals but she is also using her story to inspire others. She shares her love of swimming with her fellow student athletes as a member of Utah Tech’s Student Advisory Committee and as a coach to a group of eighteen-and-older swimmers who are seeking the sense of community provided in the swim arena.

For more information about Utah Tech University, please visit utahtech.edu.

About the Author

After graduating with her associate degree from Mesa Community College, Arizona native Kaylee Cluff transferred to Utah Tech University. Now a senior at Utah Tech, she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public relations. Kaylee is enjoying her time here in southern Utah and exploring everything the community has to offer.