Austin athlete to watch: Swimmer Lizzi Smith hopes to bring spotlight to Paralympics
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lizzi Smith, a three-time Paralympian medalist, is an athlete to watch in Paris. The 28-year-old Austinite first has to qualify at the U.S. Swimming Trials in Minneapolis, Minnesota this week.
Qualifying shouldn't be a challenge for Smith — she is used to the world stage. The swimmer made her Paralympics debut in the 2016 Rio games and earned silver as part of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay as well as bronze in the 4×100 medley relay. However, it was the 100-meter butterfly event that slipped away by a fingernail — that's how close Smith came to reaching bronze.
"I got fourth place, 100th of a second separated me from a medal," Smith told KXAN in a 2021 interview before the Paralympics in Tokyo.
Things changed in Tokyo. She earned silver in the 100-meter butterfly — the event she barely lost in 2016. Smith said this time people can expect more from her in Paris in the 100-meter butterfly and relay races.
"I have a different fire under me this time," Smith said. "I'm a different athlete than I was then. Before, I was out to prove a lot because I got fourth in Rio, so I was able to prove that I could podium and prove everyone wrong, whoever doubted me."
The pandemic pushed the 2020 Paralympic games in Tokyo a year later — giving athletes only three years to train for the 2024 summer games in Paris, but the shorter time frame helped Smith flex a different muscle.
"The biggest shift from Tokyo to Paris...I've done a lot more mental training," the Paralympian said. "You can get consumed telling yourself don't get fourth, and that can be heavy. That's a lot to carry for a long time."
After losing the chance to medal in Rio, Smith said the image of looking up at the board and seeing fourth place lingered for a while. She did everything in her power to train harder, and that included building a community of love.
"So if it did happen, I knew I had a support system. But I knew athletically, I did not want that to happen," Smith said. "I've been alone as an athlete. I had to experience the really hard parts of waking up early to train, facing losses and experiencing success alone. That changed when I moved to Austin, and now I get to share this experience with a lot of people — my boyfriend, his family, my family and my coach. Because it can be really hard trying to do it all alone. And that burns you out."
Mental health is the focus of an upcoming short documentary featuring the Austinite.
"It's a dive into my journey from Rio to Tokyo and the mental aspect of not just being an athlete, but being a person, and even relating my story of having one hand and a disability to younger kids. So, just helping more people feel seen, feel less alone, like the experiences I had when I was little," Smith said.
Smith was born without a left forearm. A condition that started in the womb that was caused by amniotic band syndrome. Today she said she feels like a kid again after getting a prosthetic arm in April.
"I'm getting a lot better at it," she said while showing how her new arm works. "There's so much to learn, and I'm having a lot of fun with that, like holding a door open with it. It's like I'm a little kid again, where I just get to feel."
Smith said the arm has a sensor inside and outside, and it moves based on the flex of her muscles.
"The most fun I've had with it is holding cups. I'm so excited to be able to hold cups," Smith said.
Growing up in Muncie, Indiana, Smith said she had no idea the Paralympics existed. She started swimming at the age of seven, but it wasn't until Smith turned 12 when she found out there was an opportunity to be the best in the world with one hand. Her drive came after seeing a story on the Disney Channel on the show "Check This Kid Out," and it featured Paralympian medalist Jessica Long.
"I saw her swimming. She was missing both her legs below the knees, and the way she was swimming, it just looked incredible — not this inspiration story, but this athletic feat story. And I knew that's what I wanted to be a part of," Smith said.
On the weekends you can find the swimmer giving back to the community, inspiring future athletes at swimming clinics. The water was once her shield from the stares and stigma, but the insecurity she felt for years is now her strength.
"I hope younger swimmers can find something in my story that they see themselves in and that it creates a path for them to follow," Smith said. "I struggled with that as a younger athlete, not seeing anyone with one hand. So I didn't know 'how far can I take this?' I didn't know the steps to even take, so I hope they see steps that they can take. And then they will go far beyond where I've gone."
The Paralympian is in good hands during her training in Austin. Her coach is Ian Crocker, a five-time Olympic medalist and University of Texas alumni. The training has paid off. Smith has made it to the World Championships five times and hopefully a third appearance at the Paralympics this summer.
"Now I feel more inspired by being a woman in a sport representing disabilities and really changing that perception and bringing a lot of eliteness to these groups that historically have not been perceived as elite and strong and capable," Smith said.
Training consists of hitting the pool six days a week, practicing for two hours twice a day. Since the games in Tokyo, she added yoga to her workouts. For cross-training she lifts weights and when it comes to nutrition, it's intuitive. Smith eats when she's hungry, and that includes a candy bar if she feels like it.
When KXAN asked Smith if Paris would be her last games, the Paralympian quickly responded with a gasp.
"I don't want it to be, with Los Angeles being the next games, competing or coaching in front of a home crowd would be incredible, and I'm excited for all the opportunities that will come up for para athletes," Smith said with a bright smile. "I think with the spotlight on the U.S., a lot is going to change for disability sports, to have everyday people knowing what Paralympics is about. I really want to see that."