Joe McCarthy

Sport: Swimming
Residence: San Diego, CA

A native of New Orleans, Joe was injured in 1996 when he flew off his surfboard in shallow water and crashed into a sandbar headfirst, breaking his neck at the c6-c7 level, he was 16. He spent a week in the hospital, two months in Sharp Rehabilitation Center and 6 months undergoing physical therapy.

Joe then returned to high school and during his senior year he joined the varsity swim team. He competed against able-bodied students, but never won. A year later, he entered a disabled swim competition and broke an American record. From there, Joe moved to the international arena, competing at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games. Joe is the American record holder for his class (S4) in the 50m and 100m freestyle, the 50m backstroke, and 50m butterfly. He also has many world championships and Pan Am games competition under his belt. Joe is now training for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

For work, Joe is an insurance consultant with Blumenthal Insurance services in Coronado, California. He is also the Head swimming coach for the Coronado Aquatics club in Coronado. Joe is heavily involved in the community. He has been a part of a team that raised $1.2 million to build a state of the art adaptive aquatics center. The center will serve as a sanctuary for people suffering traumatic injuries and debilitating illness. Joe was also a member of the 2016 Los Angeles Olympic Delegation Committee.

Working with U.S. Paralympics® founding partner, The Hartford, Joe is helping to positively change attitudes and perceptions about disability by demonstrating the success that’s possible when we focus on an individual’s abilities, instead of on his or her disability.