Inductees

She had been swimming for a few years, but had become somewhat frustrated with results.

Then, at age 12 and during a trip for her brother’s soccer tournament, Suzanne Beth Scott and her parents spotted a swimming competition on TV.

“We were baffled to learn that we were watching the highlights for the Paralympic Games in Athens, as the eight women that stood behind the blocks looked able-bodied, at first glance,” said Scott, who had been born with spina bifida. “As we watched, we learned that swimming in the Paralympics operates with a classification system, grouping athletes together with similar disability levels.”

The moment inspired Scott to challenge herself and, it turns out, she went on to inspire others as she became a Paralympian herself. That’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Scott with the Class of 2024.

Scott competed in the Paralympics for the United States in 2008 in Beijing and in 2012 in London.

The Cape Girardeau native won a bronze medal in 2008 in the 400 meters and, in London, won a silver in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and two bronzes, in the 4×100 medley relay and 400 freestyle.

She also has nine World Championships medals – four golds, three silvers and two bronzes. The golds came in the 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×100 medley relay in 2010, a year after she won the 100-meter freestyle and 400-meter freestyle.

Her silvers were in the 400-meter freestyle in 2010 and the 4×100 freestyle relay in 2009 and 50-meter freestyle. The bronzes came in the 100-meter backstroke in 2010, a year after a 200-meter individual medley.

She also set the world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle in 2009.

And to think it all stemmed from watching the Paralympics without really meaning to.

“I learned that I was watching the S10 classification compete in the 100m freestyle and wondered if the nerve damage in my legs due to a birth defect would make me eligible,” Scott said about the Paralympics on TV. “I had been growing frustrated with the sport for awhile and the thought of competing against swimmers with similar abilities was intriguing.”

After attending Cape schools through her freshman year, Scott relocated to the Colorado Springs-based Olympic Training Center as part of its Resident Paralympic Swim Team.

There, she worked with coaches Jimi Flowers, Dave Denniston and strength and conditioning coach Amanda Wittenmyer Fleece.

“The most important meet I needed to compete in was the Paralympic Trials,” Scott said. “However, having experience from competing at a multitude of international meets, including World Championships in Durban, South Africa in 2006, and the Para-Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2007, certainly helped my performance in Beijing, and eventually, London.”

Scott broke a 12-year-old world record in 2008, and won the bronze, her first international medal.

In London, she brought home even more medals. In the relays, she swam the opening, the backstroke, in the medley relay.

“I am definitely grateful for each experience on the podium. It has been 12 years since London, and it is honestly still difficult for me to find words to articulate what the experience meant to me,” Scott said.

Truth is, her prior experience at the World Championships set her up for success.

“While I did not medal in 2006, the World Championships were my first international swim meet, and I gained a lot of valuable experience,” Scott said. “In 2009, the World Championships were short-course (racing in a 25-meter pool versus a 50-meter pool), which always presented a bit more of a challenge for me, as starts and flip-turns were never a strong point in any of my races. The World Championships in 2010 was probably one of my favorite meets, and it definitely provided some great experience leading up to London.”

Overall, Scott thanks Jimi, Davo and Amanda, as well as teammates, church leaders and her family, especially her mother.

Swimming wasn’t her only success. She graduated from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and also holds an MBA from DeVry University.

“I honestly do not spend much time reflecting on my athletic accomplishments at this point as it feels like a long time ago,” Scott said. “I have definitely appreciated the opportunities my swimming career brought me, as well as the wonderful people I have been able to cross paths with, so moments like these where I do get to spend a bit more time reminiscing on how blessed I have been are extra sweet.”