Keith Huddleston, a Russian language senior at UT Arlington, will be the first swimmer to represent the university at the Endeavor Games in June. The Endeavor Games allow athletes with physical disabilities to compete in sports. Huddleston lost his left leg below the knee in a 2005 motorcycle accident. He began swimming again two months later and now trains over 3,000 yards per week. Huddleston aims to compete against other disabled athletes and gauge his abilities. He serves as a role model for overcoming adversity through swimming and his positive attitude.

1. Scene
about scene remember
Emily Toman, editor Check out Thursday’s Pulse for a rundown
features-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu of the student-directed one-act plays in
Scene is published Tuesday. this year’s TheatreFest.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Page 5
The ShorThorn
Swimming
orward
Russian language senior Keith Huddleston will be the first swimmer to represent the university at the Endeavor Games in June. The Endeavor Games is a nationally recognized competition that allows athletes with physical
disabilities to participate in a multi-sport event.
A student’s passion for the water continues
after losing a leg in a motorcycle accident
A dark silhouette beneath the
water, Keith Huddleston propels
himself off of the pool wall. As he
surfaces, his broad shoulders and pow-
“Right when it happens, everything
stops. You can’t hear anything, and
you look around just standing there,
suspended,” he said. “Time stops, lets
erful strokes pull him from one end of you collect your thoughts, and then it
the 25-yard pool to the other while his goes super fast. It caught back up with
swim class watches. itself.”
But there’s something different When Huddleston realized he lost
about Huddleston. He swims with his leg, he knew that it couldn’t be
only one leg. reattached.
The Russian language senior was “I accepted it right then,” he said.
selected to represent the university “The best thing was when I said, ‘OK,
June 11-14 in the endeavor Games, a I accept it.’ ”
competition for athletes with physical An eyewitness called Huddleston’s
disabilities. He is the first swimmer the friend Richard Guthrie who arrived at
university has sent to the games. the scene.
He said he wants to gauge where “It was pretty scary seeing your best
he stands among other physically dis- friend lying out there in the shape he
abled athletes. was in,” he said.
“I’ll be swimming against people Huddleston lost about 6.5 pints of
who have the same type of disability as blood and suffered minor scratches
I do,” he said. aside from losing his leg.
He’ll travel to the University of cen- “While we were there talking in the
tral Oklahoma for the games, which emergency room, he looked right at me
are endorsed by the U.S. Paralympics. and said, ‘You know what? My life just “He loves the water. He is always Above: Huddleston lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in May 2005. He
Without a formal coach, he trains changed. I’m going to have to accept the first one here and the last one out,” began swimming again two months later.
himself for his first swimming compe- this and do the best I can,’ ” Guthrie Johnston said.
Below: Huddleston is taking Swimming For Fitness and Lifeguard Training
tition since high school. said. “He was like that through the Becky Garner, adjunct faculty
classes. Along with becoming a certified lifeguard, he aspires to coach
Huddleston, 46, said his older whole ordeal and never let it get him member and Swimming For Fitness
children’s swim classes in the future.
brother inspired him to swim competi- down.” teacher, remembered seeing Hud-
tively in ninth grade. He moved often dleston swimming laps in the outdoor
during his early life but has continued The Aftermath pool last summer while she taught a
swimming for fun the past 15 years. Huddleston left the hospital a class.
Huddleston is taking a Lifeguard few days later but went through five “He’s a great role model for any
Training class to get certified and teach months of rehabilitation to gain more young people with disabilities,” Garner
children to swim. Huddleston swims muscle strength in his right leg and said. “I’ve been around disabled ath-
more than 3,000 yards a week in the learn how to walk with a prosthe- letes for the last 23 years, and Keith is
university pool. He can swim 7,000 sis. He began swimming again two one of the great ones.”
yards, or 140 laps, in one hour and 45 months after the accident. On April Fool’s Day, Garner tricked
minutes. Huddleston said swimming al- her class and assigned a timed, two-
“I always loved the water,” he said. lowed him to cope with things he mile swim. While other classmates
“I found something that I like that’s never thought he would be nervous grumbled, Huddleston was ready to
good for me.” about. His first time in public was at go, she said.
Photography junior Megan Ridley T.G.I. Friday’s while he was still on “It does not matter what the chal-
swims with Huddleston in their Swim- crutches without a prosthesis, he said. lenge is, he’s always up for it,” Garner
ming For Fitness class and said he “[The workers] all looked right said.
encourages her. down at my leg,” he said. “It upset me Aside from swimming, Huddleston
“At first, I have to admit, I hoped so much. I wasn’t prepared to be a holds great interest in the Russian lan-
he wouldn’t get in my way like some spectacle.” guage, serving as the Russian culture
slower swimmers do,” she said. “How- Going to the pool helped Hud- Society president.
ever, it only took a moment to realize dleston overcome his self-conscious- Lonny Harrison, Huddleston’s
not only was he a fantastic swimmer, ness. Russian language professor and good
but now I had a great person to keep “If you’re going to swim, you’re friend, said he thinks Huddleston is an
pace and push myself with.” going to be in there in front of ev- extraordinary individual.
Huddleston said he wouldn’t be in erybody. You can’t hide it,” he said. “He is one of the most personable
school if the life-changing event that “Swimming helped me get over being and charismatic people I know,” Har-
cost him his leg hadn’t occurred. a spectacle around people.” rison said.
Huddleston has a regular prosthe- Huddleston will graduate summa
The Accident sis and one made for swimming, which cum laude this May, and plans to pur-
On a hot afternoon in May 2005, he can unlock at the ankle and extend sue graduate school in Russian and
Huddleston was pushing 80 miles straight. european studies at UT-Austin.
per hour on his motorcycle outside of “I just can’t believe how well things
Waco. As he approached a tight turn Moving Forward are coming together,” he said. “I swear
on Highway 6, he lost control, crash- Huddleston began swimming at I think I’ve won the lottery, but I don’t
ing into a cable median. The cable sev- the university the summer before he have any money. I’m doing everything I
ered Huddleston’s left leg at the calf, started classes in fall 2007. imagined I would if I won the lottery.”
and he tumbled several feet through Journalism freshman Max John-
the grassy median before stopping. ston, a lifeguard at the university pool,
He recalled an out-of-body experi- considers Huddleston a strong swim- For an audio slideshow visit
ence just before the crash. mer. The ShorThorn .com
STORY BY ALAnnA QUILLen | PHOTOS BY MeGHAn WILLIAMS