Challenged Athlete Foundation benefit preparing for Paralympic swimming for 2021

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) Haven Shepherd was born March 10, 2003 in Vietnam and at the age of 16-months-old her parents, committed a murder/suicide by detonating a bomb. They were both killed instantly but somehow their baby who was blown 30 feet from their hit survived. There was severe damage to her legs and they had to amputate to save her life.

At 20-months-old Haven was adopted by a family in rural Missouri and became the youngest of seven children.

Haven was introduced to the Challenged Athlete Foundation when she was eight and began to give track a try. She realized pretty quickly track wasn’t for her and decided to try swimming. She loved the freedom of moving in the water with out prosthetics.

She knew she had found her sport and by the age of 12 qualified to be on the Paralympic Emerging Team.

She has competed all over the USA, Italy and last August got to represent her country in Lima Peru at the ParaPan Games winning 2 silver and 1 bronze medal.

She is ranked 8th in the world in her Breast Stroke and joined Good Morning San Diego to discuss the 2021 Paralympics.