On a seemingly typical Friday afternoon, high school senior Emma Meyers made history in the Booker T. Washington auditorium signing commitment papers to Colorado Mesa University where she will be the first female para triathlete to compete at the NCAA varsity level.
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As a young child, Meyers was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia — a congenital limb deficiency in which the child has a short or missing calf bone. Her leg was amputated as a result, but like her family and coaches will tell you, it never slowed her down.
“The words ‘I can’t’ have never come out of her mouth,” her grandmother said at the signing ceremony where family, friends, coaches, and fellow triathletes were there in support.
Meyers started para swimming early on as a substitution for physical therapy. After a few national championships, she transitioned to triathlons where she found her passion.
“Athletics has not only improved my physical health but also my mental health,” said Meyers. “I'm able to meet so many wonderful people when I race and the journey of my racing career and just training and all them. and then also, being able to do sports allows me to balance out my life.”
Meyers has competed, and won medals, in national and international races with her prosthetic leg. She’s currently ranked No. 4 in the world. After she graduates from Booker T. Washington High School in May, she’ll be competing in a few more races before she heads to college at Colorado Mesa University.
Although she received offers from all levels of divisions, Colorado Mesa stuck out to her not just for the athletics, but the academics. She plans to study social work and business and develop a program that supports others with prosthetics to start or continue their athletic goals.
“Oftentimes, people with disabilities are unable to be active,” said Meyers. “And it's not that they don't want to be active, it's that they don't have the resources and ability to be active. In the U.S., healthcare is hard for everyone, and it's even harder when you have a prosthetic since insurance only allows you to get one prosthetic a year. So, with that, if it breaks or you outgrow it, something happens to it, you're unable to get another one.”
“That’s my whole thing is I’d like to help and I’d like to make any positive contributions I can.”
Meyers would like to help others receive prosthetics, especially athletic prosthetics to enable more freedom to run, jump, swim, and beyond.
“And that comes along with helping your mental health as well,” she added. “When you're active, when you're out on moving, you meet new people, your mental health increases.”
Even with the awards and accolades, Meyers is humble about her achievements. That’s OK because her coaches and family were happy to boast.
“I know she’s going to do great things because she’s already done amazing things and she’s the most driven person I’ve ever met,” said Robin Heller, executive director at SEASTARS Aquatics, and one of Meyers’ early swimming coaches.
Meyers’ mom, Leah Finneseth-Meyers, said Emma was running at two-and-a-half years old, just two weeks after amputation.
“There’s been no stopping her,” she said. “I’m very proud of her. She’s worked very hard and it’s nice to see the benefit …all the gifts that are coming from it.”
Heller recalled the first time she met Meyers — she was just 10 years old.
“She looked me straight in the eye and she said ‘Hi, I’m Emma Meyers and I’m going to the Paralympics.’ And I said ‘OK.’ And I have no doubt in my mind.”
The Paralympics is still her dream. And for anyone who knows Meyers, it’s just a matter of when.
“It's a goal of mine and I am goal-oriented,” she said. “I like to achieve goals, but also, I would like to bring awareness on what the adaptive community is, and show what is capable of and hopefully inspire others.”
