Haven Shepherd (born March 9, 2003) is a Vietnamese-American

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

swimmer. In 2018, she was included on the BBC 100 Women list.

Early life

Shepherd was born Do Thi Thuy Phuong in Quang Nam province, Vietnam after her parents had an affair. When she was 14 months old, her parents died in a bomb explosion, either as a double

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

or as a murder-suicide perpetuated by her father. Although Shepherd was also intended to die in the explosion, she was instead blown 40 feet away and only sustained damage to her legs.{{Cite web , title=Haven Shepherd – the US swimmer who survived a family suicide attempt to become a Paralympian , url=https://olympics.com/en/news/haven-shepherd-usa-swimmer-paralympian-interview#:~:text=Let%27s%20Move-,Haven%20Shepherd%20–%20the%20US%20swimmer%20who%20survived%20a%20family%20suicide,to%20take%20their%20own%20lives. , access-date=September 20, 2023 , website=olympics.com An older half-sister also survived the explosion. Shepherd was brought by her grandmother to a hospital in

Da Nang Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one ...

, where both her legs were amputated. At age 20 months, she was adopted by an American couple from

Carthage, Missouri Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 15,522 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City." History Jasper County was formed in 1841. ...

, who had six older children. Shepherd learned to swim by age 3. She was homeschooled.

Athletic career

Shepherd began swimming competitively at age 10. By the time she was 13, the US Paralympic team began tracking her as a potential candidate based on her times. At the

2020 Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralympic ...

, Shepherd came fifth in the Women's 200m Individual Medley - SM8.

Personal life

Shepherd uses prosthetic legs.

References

Living people 2003 births 21st-century American sportswomen American people of Vietnamese descent Explosion survivors Paralympic swimmers for the United States People from Carthage, Missouri Sportspeople from Missouri American female swimmers