Representing his country on the international stage is not something that Ansonia native Matthew Torres takes lightly.
"It's really hard to put into words I would say, being able to represent the United States," Torres said.
Torres has overcome a lot to get to this point.
"I was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome and the primary implications of that is that I was born without the lower part of my right leg," said Torres, who was also born with deformities on both hands and moderate hearing loss.
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He has never let that hold him back, especially when it comes to swimming.
"He just has a natural feel for the water," Westport Water Rats coach Ellen Johnston said.
"It was never really serious up until 2008 after watching Michael Phelps in the Beijing games," Torres said. "My main inspiration and [he is] really what got me started."
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Torres took note of Phelps' work ethic.
"A lot of hours in the pool and eventually it will all just come together and pay off," Torres said.
Like his idol, Torres got to swim for his country, earning a medal in the 400 meter freestyle at the Paralympics in 2021.
"Winning bronze in Tokyo was definitely a major accomplishment for me," Torres said.
It also made him hungry to win another medal in 2024, but the road to Paris was harder than expected.
"At the end of the day, especially if there's anything that I've learned in the past year or so, there's always going to be obstacles," Torres said.
Last year, Torres started dealing with discomfort in his chest while swimming.
"Diving in for those races, I was scared for my life because I thought I had a heart condition," Torres said.
Through medical care and time off, he was able to regroup and qualify for the Paralympics in Paris.
"The goal of overcoming that fear of being able to get back into the water and regardless of the outcome in Paris, I'm going to be pretty happy with the fact that I even made it this far," Torres said.
Adversity, past or present, has never fazed Torres, who remains an inspiration to everyone he meets.
"How could you not be?" Johnston asked.
"If there's anything that you're struggling with, just try to keep going a little bit longer," Torres said. "That's really all that you can ask of yourself. You just got to be in the right mindset to just push through, know that, as long as you put your focus on the end goal, you can overcome anything."
Torres will compete in the 400 meter freestyle on Wednesday and the 100 meter freestyle on Friday.
