Adaptive swimmer from Alexandria makes splash in national competition
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- Watching 14-year-old Sophia Nohre, of Alexandria, effortlessly glide and reach through water, you'd never know her rare condition. She was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease.
"I have broken over 100 bones, I am so used to it," swimmer Nohre said.
Nohre battles through setbacks and comebacks as she works to re-enter the pool following many broken bones and surgeries. While her bones may be fragile, her will is rock solid, according to her swim coach.
"For her to have surgery and be out for a month -- two, three, four months -- and to be able to come back in the pool and within two, three weeks be pretty much back at her pre-surgery form is just incredible," Adam Warden, adaptive coach for Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, said.
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Warden knows how difficult that is. He couldn't save his leg after an accident in 2013. He too returned to the sports he loved with help from the Courage Kenny.
"I think it was five weeks after my amputation they let me borrow a wheelchair to do my first post-surgery 5K," said Warden.
That led to coaching adaptive rock climbing, track, and swimming. He said, laughingly, that coaching someone as dedicated as Nohre is "exhausting."
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"She's the one who, whenever I'm writing the workout plans, I'm like this will finally wear her out," said Warden.
So far, it hasn't.
"I like long distance and butterfly and IM, and most people are like, 'Eww,'" said Nohre.
That endurance continues to pay off. This month, at the Hartford Nationals for those with disabilities in Alabama, Sophia won five gold medals and a silver in her six events.
She remains determined and has a message for athletes, young or old, diagnosed with brittle bone or any other disease.
"You are not going to be remembered if you just sit there and do nothing. I'm not going to lose walking. I'm not going to lose swimming. I recently got into acting I'm not going to lose that. I have hobbies. I have passion. I'm not going to lose it," Nohre said.
