Roy Perkins
Roy Perkins first got in the pool at age 12 to learn swimming for safety. Within months, his desire and talent led him to participate in the San Diego Triathlon Challenge, where he completed the 1.2-mile ocean swim. A year later, he began competing in local meets in order to qualify for the 2004 U.S. Paralympics Swimming Trials in Minneapolis, where he set a handful of American records in his first major meet. At the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, Perkins won a gold medal in the 50m butterfly S5 and a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle S5.
Perkins graduated from The Bishop's School in La Jolla, Calif. in May 2008. His favorite high school classes were English, history, Latin and classical Greek, but he enjoys any subject that involves writing, politics and creativity. Perkins has been accepted to Stanford University but has deferred admission until 2009, so he can concentrate on maximizing his performance at the Paralympic Games in Beijing. Other activities he enjoys are playing table tennis and basketball, listening to music and following his favorite NFL team, the Washington Redskins.
At the 2006 Visa World Cup in Manchester, U.K., his first international competition, Perkins set American and Pan American records in the S5 50m freestyle, finishing with a time of 37.57 seconds.
Major Achievements:
- 2008: Gold medal, 50m Butterfly S5; bronze medal, 100m Freestyle S5 - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
- 2008: American record, 200m Freestyle - CanAm Championships, Victoria, British Columbia
- 2008: Gold medal (Men's Mutlidisciplinary 50m fly) - Paralympic World Cup, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2007: Named to the 2006-2007 USA Swimming Scholastic All-America Team
- 2007: Named 2006 Challenged Athlete Star of the Year by San Diego Hall of Champions
- 2006: Gold medal (50m fly - WR), bronze medal (200m IM) - International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships, Durban, South Africa
- 2006: Named to the 2005-2006 USA Swimming Scholastic All-America Team
- 2006: Pan American record (S5 50 fly), three American records (S5 50 fly, S5 50m back, SM5 200m IM) - U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships, San Antonio, Texas
- 2006: American and Pan American Record, S5 50m free - Paralympic World Cup, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2006: American and Pan American Record, S5 200m free - Can-Am Championships, London, Ontario, Canada
- 2005: World record (S5 100m fly), four American and Pan American records (S5 200m free, S5 50m fly, S5 100m fly, S5 100m free) - U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships, Minneapolis, Minn.
