Name: Bradley Snyder

Sport: Swimming

Event(s): 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly

Classification: S11, SB11, SM11

Height: 5-9

Weight: 160

DOB: 2/29/1984

Birthplace: Reno, Nev.

Hometown: Baltimore, Md.

High School: Northeast High School (St. Petersburg, Florida.) ‘02

College: U.S. Naval Academy ‘06, Naval Architecture

Team/Club: Loyola University Maryland

Coach(es): Brian Loeffler

Paralympic Experience

• Three-time Paralympian (2012, 2016, 2020); Eight-time medalist (6 gold, 2 silver)
• Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, gold (triathlon, PTVI)
• Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, gold (50m free, 100m free, 400m free), silver (100m back)
• London 2012 Paralympic Games, gold (100m free, 400m free), silver (50m free)

World Championship Experience

• Most recent: 2015 – gold (50m free, 100m free, 400m free) - swimming
• Years of Participation: 2015
• Medals: 3 (3 gold)
• Gold – 2015 (50m free, 100m free, 400m free)

Personal: Growing up on the beach in Florida made swimming a natural activity for Snyder. He swam for his high school, and at the U.S. Naval Academy where he captained the swim team in 2005-06. On September 7, 2011, he was blinded after stepping on an improvised explosive device while serving in the U.S. Navy in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The bomb did not affect his arms or legs, but his eyes had to be removed and replaced with prosthetics. One year later to the day, Snyder took gold in the men’s S11 400m free at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Snyder was chosen as the honorary torch bearer for the opening ceremony of the 2013 Warrior Games. In 2018, Snyder announced his transition from swimming to paratriathlon. His journey to triathlon wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, though. On the way to the CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships in Sarasota, Florida, his bike broke and he had to work fast to find a solution. Luckily, he was able to find a replacement and was able to race. Shortly after switching sports, he earned his first ITU World Paratriathlon Series medal, a bronze at the May 2019 stop in Yokohama, Japan. Snyder is the son of Valarie Snyder, and the oldest of four children. He has two younger brothers, and a younger sister.

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