From an early age, Lawrence Sapp found his calling in swimming. His parents enrolled him on a summer swim team at just 5 years old, hoping it would help their son find his voice and a life-saving skill. Little did they know, swimming would become Lawrence’s passion and lead him to incredible heights.
Lawrence started competitive swimming at age 12 and hasn’t looked back. Now 22, Lawrence is a student and NCAA Division 2 swimmer at the University of Missouri St. Louis. He’s also a trailblazing Paralympic athlete, shattering stigmas about what’s possible for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.
In 2020, Lawrence made history as the first male Paralympic swimmer with autism and an intellectual disability to join the Team USA National A team. At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, he placed 5th in the 100m butterfly, 12th in the 200m individual medley, and 14th in the 100m backstroke. As he shared, I was proud that I could represent my country in a sport that I love. Lawrence will also be competing with Team USA for the 2024 Paris Paralympics in August and already has his sights set on Los Angeles 2028.
The path was not easy at first, as Lawrence struggled to find high-level training tailored for swimmers with intellectual disabilities. So, Lawrence sought out coaches open to learning and adapting alongside him. The tools they developed for Lawrence’s success, like writing out sets on a whiteboard, ended up benefiting many swimmers because accommodations can lift up entire teams, not just individuals with disabilities. The coaches credit Lawrence with helping them cultivate more patience and compassion and becoming better coaches overall.
I had to learn to be more patient while they figured things out, Lawrence shared. I also learned how to speak up when I felt that I wasn’t getting what I needed. My USA Swimming coaches were also very supportive.
That perseverance continues to propel Lawrence to chase his dreams, powering him through twice daily swim sessions plus lifting when he’s at school and daily 4:30 am swims during breaks. I have goals that I want to reach, and I just focus on my goals and what I need to do to achieve those goals, he says of how he stays focused. His pre-meet routine of eating sandwiches and spaghetti helps him fuel up.
Beyond the pool, Lawrence hopes his story will shatter misconceptions about people with disabilities and their potential. They think that we are happy with letting people do things for us and telling us what to do, he says of societal attitudes toward autism and intellectual disabilities. They don’t think that we are capable of making decisions for ourselves and can do things independently. Lawrence also plans to graduate from college in 2025, get a job doing something I love, and one day have my own home.
To others with disabilities pursuing big dreams, Lawrence’s message is one of empowerment: I would tell them not to give up. Talk to people that can help you and don’t let people trick you into doing something else. You can do anything you want to do.
With an impressive roster of World Championships experience and medals including 2 golds and 1 silver in butterfly and backstroke events from 2017-2023. it seems there’s no limit to how far Lawrence’s perseverance can take him.
My dream is to make the Team USA team and show people what people with autism and intellectual disabilities can do if you support us and include us, he said. We are always told what we can’t do but people with disabilities need to be shown what they can do.
Lawrence is doing just that and so much more.
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