TACOMA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran University men's swimming student-athlete Henri Coronado-Volta competed with his teammates over the weekend at the Northwest Conference Championships, wrapping up his first season as a Lute. But for Coronado-Volta, his season is just getting started, as he continues to train for the Paralympic trials this spring.
 
When Coronado-Volta was a toddler, his mom introduced him to the pool. Eight years and two swim clubs later, Coronado-Volta joined a para swim club called the Shadow Seals. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and hydrocephalus as a result of a stroke at just eight days old, Coronado-Volta qualifies as a para-athlete from his left hemiplegia (weakness on the left side) due to the cerebral palsy. The Shadow Seals inducted him into the para-swim community where Coronado-Volta has grown alongside other para-athletes, including world-record holders. 
 
"When I am at para-swimming events, there is a certain camaraderie that comes from being with people who have experienced struggles that are similar to my own," Coronado-Volta said. "In our other lives we may have been looked at as different, but here we are all accepted and understood."
 
Coronado-Volta joined his high-school swim team, which led him to pursue swimming in college. After a conversation with Lute swimming's head coach Matt Sellman, Coronado-Volta decided to attend PLU where he believed he could contribute to the team while also focusing on his personal goals of qualifying for the Paralympics.
 
Once at PLU, the amount and intensity of the swim team's training challenged Coronado-Volta, but he continued to show up and work hard at every practice. This new community of collegiate swimmers surprised him with their eagerness to offer advice on swimming technique and a supportive environment both at meets and practices. Coronado-Volta believes the intense training and team atmosphere will help him be successful at future para-athlete competitions. 
 
"A big part of my training for PLU is the competitive environment and how the team always finds ways to lift each other up and support one another, while at the same time maintaining that competitive spirit," Coronado-Volta said. 
 
As a first-year collegiate athlete, Coronado-Volta faces challenges of managing the balance between athletics and academics, and learning how to advocate for himself. He also works to remind himself that at PLU he is training alongside able-bodied athletes, and their goals are sometimes different than his. 
 
"At times, I struggle with believing in myself and wish that I could contribute more to the team," Coronado-Volta said. "When faced with these challenges, I focus on my personal goals, reach out to teammates, friends, and coaches, and appreciate the opportunity to train and compete at a high level."
 
Coronado-Volta is grateful for the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level, and believes it is important for club teams to be open to para-swimmers and athletes of varying abilities, saying, "para-athletes always need champions who are willing to advocate for them." He also hopes more of the athletic community will attend para-athlete events and witness the resilience and joy the athletes experience while competing.  
 
Coronado-Volta competed in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, and the 200-yard butterfly at the 2020 NWC Championships and will continue training with a club team to compete in Indianapolis at the World Cup Para Meet in April, and in Minnesota at the Paralympic Trials in late June. He enjoys paraswim competitions because he swims against fellow para-athletes he has known for years. However, Coronado-Volta isn't just there to socialize, he is there to win.
 
"Make no mistake about it though, we are all there to compete and we give our all in the pool."