Carla Swank
Special to RivalsHigh

America's next gymnast
Paralympic Gold
200m to gold
Photos: U.S. Swimmers

But dig past the giggly girl on the outside, and a poised and determined young female athlete shines through. Although Long tries to downplay her many accomplishments, there's no denying her success is monumental.

Long, who recently turned 16, is a world-champion swimmer despite being born without bones in the lower part of her legs.

She currently holds 14 world records for a female swimmer with a disability, including five set during the 2006 World Swimming Championships - where she won nine gold medals - in South Africa. She won three gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, when she was 12 and the youngest member of the American delegation.

She now has her sights set on the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing in September.

"I want to win seven golds," Long says. "I know I can do it."

The "LONG" and short of it

Yes, she's a world-champion swimmer. But she's also a teenage girl. Jessica Long dishes on some of her favorite things:

TV Shows: "I love 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'America's Next Top Model.' I'd like to go on 'Top Model' someday."

Movies: "There are so many good movies out there, but right now I'd have to go with 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'National Treasure.'"

On her iPod: "I really become attached to it while I'm on the plane, especially for big competitions. 'Crowded' by Jeannie Ortega is good. Even when I hear it now, I get into the zone. Anything with a fast beat really helps. I listen to ZoeGirl, too, especially 'Beautiful Name' because of the lyrics 'I will run, I will fly.'"

Relaxing: "I love eating, and I'm a clean freak. I love cleaning my room, putting on a movie I have memorized and eating chips and salsa. Sounds crazy, doesn't it?"

ATHLETIC ASPIRATIONS

Long, who lives in Baltimore, was born in Irkutusk, Russia, a small town in Siberia. She was born without fibulas, heels, ankles or many of the other bones in either of her legs or feet. She was adopted from a Russian orphanage by her American parents at 13 months, then had to have both legs amputated below the knee at 18 months.

As Long grew, she fell in love with a sport ? gymnastics. But after six years of lessons, her parents were concerned about the strain on her knees and prosthetic legs. So, in the backyard pool at her grandparents' house near Baltimore, Long was introduced to swimming and joined a local swim club.

"I only knew two strokes at first," she says. "The first day killed me. It was so hard, but I kept going back to the team. Most of the other kids didn't even know I was missing my legs until I got out of the pool."

Though she now says she can't imagine her life without swimming, she has tried her hand at many other sports, including rock climbing. She also is matter-of-fact about her disability.

"I really like basketball a lot," she says. "Running is fun, too. I have special running (prosthetic) legs. I've tried a lot of different things. Cheerleading was fun. Ice skating was fun.

"I tried skiing, but I lost both of my legs," she said with a laugh. "They fell off the first time."

SURPRISING SUCCESS

In 2002, Long became the youngest member of the U.S. Paralympic team. Just a couple of weeks removed from watching U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps ? also a Baltimore resident ? make swimming history at the Olympic Games in Athens, Long took to the water in the same pool with hopes of making history herself.

"Being able to watch the athletes swim (in Athens) at home and see the facilities and then to watch (Michael) win was amazing," she says. "It was like, 'All right, let's do this.' "

Long entered the Games ranked ninth in the world and wasn't expected to win gold.

"I wasn't even expecting to win," she says. "I just thought it was a really fun experience. People asked if I was nervous, and if you think too much, you do get nervous. I just wanted to have fun."

And she did have fun, to the tune of three gold medals and two Paralympic records.

"In one race, I out-touched a girl by five-hundredths (of a second)," Long says. "I didn't even know I'd won. I thought I was reaching the wall, going for second place."

Long said the atmosphere of the Olympic Village boosted her confidence just as much as her success in the pool.

"We were trading pins and hanging out," she says. "Just being around so many other people with disabilities ? made me feel like I could do whatever I wanted to do."

Since competing in Athens, Long has set 14 world records in individual and relay events. She set five world records at the 2006 World Swimming Championships, where she also stood on the podium nine times, each with a gold medal around her neck.

"I can't even describe the feeling of being on the podium," she said. "The number of times that I've practiced and all the discouragement ? it all just goes away. That's why I did this, that's why I practiced. It's even more special standing up there with the teams because each person helped you get there. It's the best feeling in the world."

NORMAL DAYS AND RED CARPETS

At home in Baltimore, Long does a daily juggling act, trying to balance being a normal, everyday teenage girl with being a world-renowned athlete. Her friends, many of whom are fellow paralympians, are proud of what she's achieved, but to them, she says, she's just one of the girls.

Early Beginnings

Having both legs amputated below the knee at 18 months did not slow Long down at any age.

Now the world record holder in 14 events, Long also enjoys gymnastics, basketball, rock climbing and other sports.

One thing Long thinks is cool is getting dressed up for big events. In fact, when it comes to discussing her nomination for an ESPY Award last year, she'd much rather talk about her experience on the red carpet than the award she won for Best Female Athlete with a Disability.

"I was there with Peyton Manning and Kelly Clarkson, Shawn White, Amanda Beard, Michael Phelps," she says, excitedly rattling off the names. "I saw Paris Hilton and Hilary Duff, and I realized I've fulfilled something I've always wanted to do. It was so cool to see the stars.

"We got out of a Hummer, and the red carpet was really crowded. I wore my 'everyday legs' with a little bit of a heel and an aqua dress. I even painted my toenails."

Yes, she's a successful athlete. But she's still a teenage girl, too, with five siblings. She also has goals beyond swimming. She dreams of someday becoming a dermatologist.

"It's hard because I want to continue my swimming career as long as possible," she said, "and I know it takes about 12 years to become a dermatologist. I just want to make sure I do something I love."

AN INSPIRATION

To Long, despite all of the pain, not having legs isn't a disability. It's an opportunity.

"If I had the option, I would choose to be this way," she says. "I think it's cool to be able to inspire people and be a role model. If I had legs, I probably wouldn't be involved in swimming.

"I don't think I can imagine my life with legs."

While setting world records and winning gold medals is motivation for Long in the upcoming Paralympic Trials, she also knows her continued success is good for other athletes struggling with disabilities.

"It's neat to have people want to come up and take pictures with me," she says. "I talk to (younger athletes) about their races. The more swimmers we have, the more Paralympics will be promoted. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right and that I'm not wasting my life.

"Not many 15-year-olds can do what I do. It's definitely a good feeling."

Comment on this article | Search for more info on Jessica Long

Olympic, Olympiad, the Olympic rings, Faster Higher Stronger, Citius Altius Fortius, Beijing 2008 and related marks are owned by the International Olympics Committee, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, or their related entities. This site is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with any of these entities.