Raquel has been a synchronized swimmer since 2009. She currently swims for Bay Area Synchro and formerly the Santa Clara Aquamaids. She is the 1st USA Int'l Champion for Artistic Swim AWD and is a Coach for Bay Area Synchro's adapted artistic swim program. Raquel was born with a birth injury that resulted in a disability called Erbs Palsy. She also struggles with ADHD. Raquel used aquatics therapy for healing and found out later at age 9 that synchronized swimming was much more beneficial and in fact helped her regain much-needed mobility that she did not have before, despite having surgery at age 6. But because of her limited abilities, trying to advance in a sport where many of her co-swimmers now serve on National teams was not a possibility. Given her disability, which restricts her ability to keep up with the non-disabled synchronized swimmers, she is unable to work towards a spot on any national team. Despite her 56+ Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals for Artistic Swimming at the Intermediate level, she would not be able to meet the criteria set for Age group, Junior, or Senior trials for a National team spot.

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At age 13, instead of dropping out of the sport, she decided that it was time to advocate for Artistic Swimming (name was changed by FINA in 2017 from synchronized to artistic swimming) as a Paralympic sport by spreading awareness and asking for assistance from the USA Artistic Swim Federation. She started with spreading awareness at the 2011 California State Games (CSG), becoming a Synchro Ambassador for 5yrs. In addition, she was chosen as one of the 2010 CSG Torch Bearers (from 9,000 applicants) and the 1st to represent Synchronized Swimming. She was recognized by CSG during the 2010 Opening ceremonies as an athlete with a disability (AWD). In 2013, She was chosen again as the State Games of America (SGA) Torch Bearer as the 1st Synchronized Swimmer to carry their torch for the National (45 States) Games in Pennsylvania. She was recognized as an Athlete with a disability along with another (SGA) disabled Athlete in the Karate games). Raquel was honored by accepting the Torch from the 2008 Olympic Heptathlon Silver Medalist, Hyleas Fountain.

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After the USA Artistic Swimming Federation granted her permission to represent the USA in Canada, she competed in the 2014 Canadian Synchro Nationals in the AWD category, where she placed 1st for her solo and in the figures competition for the AWD age group in level 4. In 2015, she helped co-found the Synchro AWD Organization after she realized the need for global advocacy, along with her mom and other swimmers' parents from Canada.

 

She became our first Artistic Swim AWD Ambassador, representing athletes with disabilities all over the World in Artistic Swimming. Raquel has since traveled to MANY countries such as Taiwan (twice), Japan (3 times), Spain (twice), Brazil, Mexico (twice), Panama (twice), Colombia, and most recently (Nov.2019) Cuba, to help spread awareness and to participate in AWD Exhibitions. In Sept. 2016, Raquel traveled to Brazil for Paralympics week and swam in the Inspara Institute's 1st Parasynchro Exhibition in the solo, duet, and combo events with a Brazilian Synchro swimmer-amputee to showcase Athletes with Physical Disabilities. Raquel also spoke and demonstrated at the 2016 ISCEMIS Olympics/Paralympics conference in Brazil on WHY Artistic Swimming should be a Paralympic sport, in which many Paralympic Committee members attended (as well as the exhibition).

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She and other Artistic swim athletes & coaches attended the 2016 Paralympic Opening Ceremonies where she dreams she will one day be an athlete in future Paralympic games. Raquel currently coaches for a new team she established in April 2016, which primarily trains athletes with disabilities (AWD), the first of its kind in the United States. Raquel and Artistic swim AWD coaches and AWD swimmers participate in exhibitions, demonstrations, and disability events at least once a month to spread awareness. She became one of the youngest (at age 15) CCP1certified USA Artistic Swimming Coaches and hopes to become a future artistic swim Judge for local competitions.

 

Raquel is also a swimmer for the high-performance commercial global artistic swim organization, Aqualillies. Raquel also volunteers with various community groups including military veterans appreciation (Eagle Field Foundation). Raquel is looking forward to a long sports career and hopes to be one of the 1st athletes representing the USA in future Paralympics for Artistic Swimming. Raquel aspires to one day become a Paralympic host commentator or work with the USA or Int'l Paralympic Committee. She has career aspirations of working to help people all over the World and is a 2022 Political Science graduate of San Jose State University. She is in the process of testing (LSAT) and applying for (2024) law schools to continue her education and career aspirations. Her 2024 Sports competitions include the State Games of America in San Diego, July 2024 and the Int'l AWD Pre-Paralympic Competition in France, prior to the opening of the 2024 Intl Paralympic Games. If you'd like to sponsor Raquel for the 2024 competitions, please contact us at: artisticswimawd@gmail.com  We would love your support and representation for our wonderful AWD athlete Ambassador!