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Jessica Tuomela
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Swimming Around the Globe
- Published in: Update - Issue 2 - 2009
- Listen to Article
Photo caption:
Jessica, Jetta and Christena
Hurley, Jessica’s friend and “tapper” far
left, visited the Parthenon (background)
and had a blast traveling through Greece
and making new friends.
Jessica Tuomela doesn’t just like to swim, she likes to swim in other countries. As a member of the Canadian Paralympics Swim Team, she competed in Sydney, Australia in 2000; in Athens, Greece in 2004; and in Beijing, China in 2008. “I really liked swimming in the Water Cube in Beijing,” says Jessica. “When you push on the inside walls it feels like pushing on a beach ball.”
During her trips to compete overseas, Jessica has gone both with and without a Leader Dog. “My first Leader Dog ‘Jetta’ came with me to Athens. After the Paralympics we traveled through Greece. The general public didn’t really understand Jetta’s position, but the police did,” Jessica explains. “I went to Beijing without a dog for several reasons; mainly because I had retired Jetta and was returning to Leader Dog for a new dog after Beijing. Also, it is hard to get your dog into the country. There were no dog guides in Beijing that I was aware of.”
Jessica tried different sports, including running and wrestling, before deciding to focus on swimming in 1997. “I liked swimming the best because I didn’t have to adapt much to doing it blind,” explains Jessica. “I do need someone to be a ‘tapper’ for me. My friend stands at the end of the pool and touches my head with a pole that looks like a giant Q-Tip. It’s much better than hitting your head on the wall of the pool.”
Jessica is currently completing her schooling to be a massage therapist. She continues to swim and looks forward to many years with her current Leader Dog “Glacier.”