By Cara Markward and Jenna Cominsky – Team 1
(Sean Brame smiles after finishing four combined hours of swimming and weight room exercises, just a typical day for this extraordinary athlete.)
With dreams striving higher than that of an average athlete, collegiate swimmer Sean Brame proves that with hard work and dedication, almost anything is possible.
At the age of nine, Brame became a quadruple amputee after breaking his ankle while playing soccer. He developed a fever and was initially told by the doctors that nothing was wrong and to just go home. About two days later, he woke up with a fever surpassing 105 degrees. After being immediately rushed to the hospital, Sean found himself covered in ice packs to try and cool his body temperature down. “I remember the ice packs melting quicker than they could put new ones on me,” says Sean recalling the incident.
Several days into his hospital stay, the doctors began to see that he was septic. His organs were failing and he needed to be treated immediately. After being induced into a coma, the doctors realized that he had began developing gangrene in his limbs. His mother made the hard decision, alongside the advice of the doctors, to amputate Sean’s legs, below the knee, his right hand above the wrist, and his left hand was left with one pointer finger and half of his thumb.
Doctors still to this day do not know what the source of his illness was and his official medical diagnoses is a “medical miracle.” As a small child, Sean had to learn quickly that life is tough and things are not always fair. He didn’t want this to keep him from living a “normal” life though.
Despite his condition, he refuses to let it hinder him from achieving his dream of competing in the Paralympics.
Brame began swimming when he was in seventh grade after his good friend he played soccer with began to swim. He continued with swimming on his high school’s team, where he ended up practicing five days a week. Once he got to Penn State, Brame says he got connected with coaches Ryan Sprang and Teri Jordan who have been training him for the last two years.
“They have helped me become the athlete I am today,” Brame admits proudly.
The Penn State Ability Athletics program is what makes it possible for Brame to swim, compete, and train for the Paralympics. However, his journey as a collegiate athlete is much more unique than all the other Ability athletes.
“Sean came and wanted to swim, and we did not have a swim program for ability athletes. And so, he is the first swimmer of an ability athletes program,” says Coach Teri Jordan.
Brame is now swimming six days a week in addition to lifting weights as a means to build power, something he says is as necessary as having good technique. Brame adds that this vigorous schedule is not only to become a better athlete, but to improve his overall health and to achieve his weight loss goals.
“Being up here and working out and being part of a team, I feel this need just to be healthier– just as an athlete, to be stronger, just to be better. I think every time I get faster in the water and I get closer toward my goal, I want to do even more. I think part of losing weight is just part of me wanting to go that extra step, going that extra distance,” says Brame.
Swimming does a lot more for Brame than help him stay in shape. He says that this sport gives him a sense of freedom and a feeling of bliss being in the water, and has taught him the true meaning of perseverance.
“I’ve walked away from practices where I can’t move and I’m so out of it because I’m dehydrated and I’m just so tired and exhausted. Sometimes they’re some of my best practices and sometimes they’re some of my worst. But it’s taught me to just push through it, and the more you do it the more you enjoy it. The harder it is, the more you want it. I like the challenge, the difficulty, just that freedom of mobility, and I think we all strive to find that,” says Brame.
As for his dreams for the Paralympics, Brame hopes to make the qualifying A-standards within the next two years in order to be able to go to Japan for the 2020 games. Ideally, he would like to go to the Paralympics in Brazil this summer, but he realizes that achieving that goal may be too much to strive for. He said that he will continue his strenuous practices and not let his motivation fade until he is able to reach his goal.
For more information on the Ability Athletes program at PSU, please visit http://www.gopsusports.com/ability/.