This past weekend, FINIS-sponsored athlete and United States Navy veteran, Brad Snyder, broke two American Records at the ECAC Swimming Championships, on the campus of the US Naval Academy.

Snyder, a Paralympic gold medalist, competes in the S11 category. He lost his eyesight in 2011 from an IED explosion while serving the United States Navy in Afghanistan.   Snyder broke his own American Record in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.12, crushing his old record of 55.59, set back in 2014. He also set a new American Record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:03.90, almost 8 full seconds faster than the previous record.

Snyder was competing under the new ECAC Inclusive Sports Initiative, which was set into motion this weekend. This initiative will soon allow Paralympic Classified athlete to score at collegiate meets. The competition this past weekend was the first test in implanting the system, and was a resounding success. Snyder’s two American Records, were among the ten set at the meet.

“I’m immensely proud and excited about the ECAC inclusion initiative! I was honored to compete in the exhibition and I’m looking forward to seeing how the “disability” category is integrated next year. It is my most sincere hope that this inclusion initiative will serve as a model for other conferences to follow in the future. I think this is a win-win for all those involved.”  – Brad Snyder, Team FINIS Athlete, Paralympic Gold Medalist

“This is one of the first initiatives of its kind to bring Paralympic athletes into the fold of collegiate athletics. Brad is a pioneer of sport, and an inspiration to many. Many records are special, but these two are extra special knowing the impact that he is making on the Paralympic movement.” –John Mix, CEO and Cofounder, FINIS, Inc.