Naperville Swimmer Wins Gold, Silver At World Special Olympics

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville swimmer Grace Seiboldt will be returning from Abu Dhabi's Special Olympics World Games with one gold medal and two silver medals. The 22-year-old, who is on the autism spectrum, earned a medal in each of the events she competed in during the games.

Seiboldt earned a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle race Tuesday with a time of 1:16.06. She and other U.S. swimmers earned a silver medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay race with a time of 4:58.98.

Grace narrowly missed gold in the 50-meter freestyle Saturday, clocking in at a time of 35.22 seconds.

Seiboldt started swimming when she was just five years old and has competed in local Special Olympics competitions since 2006. She serves as a global ambassador for Special Olympics Illinois and travels across the country to inspire other athletes.

Of the more than 7,000 athletes competing in the Special Olympics World Games, Seiboldt was one of just 215 competitors from the United States. Grace's gold and silver medals earned in Abu Dhabi will be added to the two gold and one silver medals she earned in the Special Olympics USA in 2018.

And her experiences and victories in Abu Dhabi will add to the inspirational work she does sharing her story, and the story of the Special Olympics, with future athletes around the country.