A trailblazer’s journey starts with just one step. Cortney Jordan’s path to Paralympic glory started with a paddle, a kick, and a splash. Swimming was an activity she incorporated into physical therapy for Cerebral Palsy. Her time spent in the pool was more than fun and therapeutic, it was genetic. Jordan’s grandfather Jarrett Jordan co-founded the Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida.
Cortney swam against able-bodied competitors focusing on besting her own times until 2005 when she registered for a local meet and checked a box identifying herself as disabled. This resulted in an invitation to compete in San Diego where she led the competition. “It was so surprising, because I had never won anything in athletics,” Cortney said. “I was more worried about my trigonometry class.”
That surprise turned to consistent success – the intrepid swimmer won three bronze medals in the World Championships in South Africa in 2006.
“I went from always being last to being second or third in the world, basically overnight. It was the first time where I felt, ‘Wow, this could be something,’ and I wanted to feel that again.”
Cortney began training with her high school swim team and on her own. The swimmer’s hard work paid off when she qualified for six events in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and brought home gold, silver, and bronze. She has since competed at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics bringing home one gold, eight silver, and three bronze in total.
“You watch your flag rise at the medal ceremony and realize you made that happen. To represent your country and your family, it’s something bigger that’s very difficult to put into words.”
While swimming is her passion it is not her whole life. “My parents taught me to treat school as a priority and swimming as a hobby,” Cortney said, “because my body is eventually going to break down, and I needed an education and something else to live off of.”
Her medal success in Beijing translated to a full scholarship to California Lutheran University. She studied education and graduated magna cum laude in 2013, and earned a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in education from Loyola University of Maryland.
Although Cortney was no longer eligible to compete at the collegiate level, she continued to train four hours a day, six days a week with the Loyola swim team while balancing classes and a student-teaching job.
Cortney has achieved her dreams of Paralympic swimming and elementary teaching.
“My story can show people no matter what their circumstances, if you give 100 percent and love what you’re doing, you’re going to be successful.”
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