Collin Davis’s victories go far beyond the swimming pool

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - Collin Davis is a freshman on the swim team at the University of Wyoming. While you can’t tell just by watching him compete, his life inside and out of the pool are very different.

“So I was born ‘deaf’, like my hearing was so severe and like the thing is, my parents didn’t know if it was hereditary or just a birth defect, but over the years as I got older, we learned more about my family history and it was hereditary,” said Collin.

Thanks to hearing aids, Collin can hear and speak to people. When he gets in the water, that all goes away.

“The best way I can explain to you is you know the world’s quietest room? Like how they say you can hear your heartbeat after a little while? I wouldn’t say it’s that, but it’s very similar to that, like there’s no sound.”

Collin became a Division 1 athlete at UW. As impressive as that is, it may not even the most impressive accomplishment he’s collected in his swimming career. Collin recently set the USA Deaf Swimming record in the 200 yard individual medley, just one of his many broken barriers.

“500 free, 1,000, a mile short course, then I have the 800 long course, then I also have the 200 fly too.”

Collin has competed against some of the best athletes swimming today. He knows what the pinnacle of the sport looks like. He credits his success to determination and hard work passed down to him from his family.

“I’ve swam with all these top dogs that’re at these like top 25 D1 schools, and they’re like genetic freaks. I would just say with my dad and how my family raised me to be a hard worker and just kind of suck it up and deal with the pain. I think that’s what’s kind of driven me.”

Collin plans to continue to use his opportunities to make his family, his university, and the whole world proud.

Copyright 2023 KGWN. All rights reserved.