As most of us were hitting the pools this summer to escape the 100 plus degree temperatures, 13-year-old Carli Cronk was making huge splashes in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Carli, who is an eighth grader at Bradley Middle School, competed in the 2019 World Deaf Swimming Championships as the youngest member of the USA Deaf Swimming Team. Twenty-eight countries competed in the event held the last week in August. Carli captured a silver medal in the Women’s 200 Butterfly, setting a personal best time of 2:29.67 and narrowly out swimming Ukrainian Anita Makhnyik by .01.
“I was shocked to win second,” said Carli. “Because I placed fourth in the preliminaries.”
Carli’s win secured the third silver for Team USA on day three of the competition. Carli also swam to a personal best record of 2:14.22 in the Women’s 200 Freestyle on day four coming in fourth place. On day five, the young swimmer earned two bronze medals in the Women’s 800 Freestyle (9:39.96) and the Women’s 100 Butterfly (1:06.20).
Carli began swimming competitively at the age of four and considered quitting on several occasions throughout the years. However, her family recognized her talent and encouraged her to stick to it. Her brother Wyatt, who swims for Southern Methodist University, coached her during the summer in preparation for the championships spending one-and-a-half to two hours a day practicing.
Because Team USA’s practice facilities are not in San Antonio, Carli completed an application with her times attached and was chosen to compete in Brazil. Her first time meeting any Team USA members was in the Miami airport.
While in Brazil, Carli enjoyed meeting swimmers from other countries and learning some of their languages, and although the swimmers were on a conscientious diet, Carli did enjoy tasting white pineapple, which she found more savory than sweet.
“The best part of swimming is making good connections with friends and the relaxation and stress relief it brings me.”
When Carli is not competing south of the equator, Alamo Area Aquatics Association is home. She hopes to compete in the 2020 Short Course World Deaf Swimming Championships next year in Russia and in the Deaf Olympics in 2021.
Here is a more FOCUSED look at Carli last year in preperation for the 2019 World Deaf Swimming Championships.
