Brad Snyder

Bradley Warren Snyder (born February 29, 1984) is an American professional swimmer on the United States Paralympic team who competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, and the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. Snyder won two Gold medals and one Silver at London, three Gold and one Silver at Rio, and one gold medal at Tokyo. He lost his eyesight from an IED explosion while serving in the United States Navy in Afghanistan. Among fully blind swimmers, he is the current world record holder for the 100-meter freestyle events.

Education and military service Bradley Warren Snyder was born in Reno, Nevada to Michael and Valarie Snyder. He swam while attending Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2006 with a degree in naval architecture; while there, he was captain of the swim team.

Snyder eventually became a lieutenant in the Navy, and served in Afghanistan as an explosive ordnance disposal officer. In September 2011, he lost both of his eyes after stepping on an IED in an attempt to help victims of another bombing. The explosion also gave him lacerations to his face and a shattered eardrum.

In August 2012 at the Paralympic Games in London, Snyder won Gold in the 100-meter freestyle (S11) after setting a Paralympic Record (57.18) in the preliminary heat. The following day, he won a Silver Medal in the Men's 50m Freestyle (S11) setting an American record for 25.27. Later that week, Snyder won Gold again in the Men's 400m Freestyle (S11) with a time of 4:32.41, exactly one year to the day after losing his eyesight. The United States Olympic Committee selected Brad to serve as the United States' flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

He competed at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, winning all three gold medals in the end.

Other endeavours

In 2013, Brad became the official spokesman for a tactile timepiece with his namesake, the "Bradley." Created by the product design company Eone Timepieces, the Bradley is designed in collaboration with vision impaired users.

As part of his professional swimming career, Snyder signed on as an athlete for Team Toyota, sponsored by the car company bearing the same name, that is Toyota.

Fire In My Eyes In 2016, he wrote a memoir with Tom Sileo entitled Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior's Journey from being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory.