Can’t stop McKenzie Coan

A scar on Paralympian McKenzie Coan’s arm is a constant reminder that osteogenesis imperfecta “happened for her, not to her.” 

Perspective is everything.

A broken leg less than three weeks after Coan was born revealed a rare bone disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta. Characteristics of osteogenesis imperfecta include brittle bones, a barrel-shaped chest, hearing loss, scoliosis and dwarfism. The six-time Paralympian medalist and 16-time World Para Swimming Championships medalist possesses each of those symptoms, but don’t tell Coan or her family that the disorder will hold her back.

As the Coans learned about their baby girl’s diagnosis, doctors offered guidance for handling the circumstances, “You can put her on a shelf, you can treat her like a china doll, you can put her in a bubble and let her live her life like that, or you can take her off and take the risk and experience life to the fullest.” 

The Coan family was determined to encourage McKenzie to never let anything hold her back, including her diagnosis.

“We all have things that we deal with, and it’s how we look at it that really defines what kind of life we’re going to live,” Coan said. 

A self-described high achiever, the former Division I swimmer at Loyola Maryland is constantly pursuing excellence. She competes globally at elite levels in the pool, inspires others as a motivational speaker and author, and plans to study Title IX law as a Rutgers Law School student. This weekend she will compete in the U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Coan has achieved more than any doctor thought she would in her lifetime. She continuously battles adversity while meeting goals and passing milestones. She does what she loves and inspires others to dream big.

“It’s important to show them that it is possible and you can do anything you set your mind to, regardless of the obstacles you are facing,” she said.

Coan has never forgotten to be thankful for where she is and how she got there. She has crafted her unique story to encourage young girls to pursue their dreams. 

There have been days where Coan has wanted to give up. She’s dealt with too many broken bones to count and frequent setbacks. 

But she is driven by the children who have shared the same hospital wing during her many hospital visits. When Coan was younger, she spent many nights in the hospital receiving pamidronate therapy to strengthen her bones. Her family members did everything they could to make her hospital room as comfortable as possible for her, but other children in the hospital did not have this kind of support. 

Those memories and children are the reason that Coan founded the Kenzie Kares Foundation. The mission is to provide support to children undergoing procedures for life-threatening conditions, and the foundation frequently provides donations of games, toys, and arts and crafts to families and pediatric centers in hospitals.

As passionate as Coan is about helping others, she is equally passionate about her participation in sports and the opportunities swimming has brought her. As she continues to compete as a professional athlete, she is planning for a career that will help others achieve what she has. 

Coan graduated at the top of her class with a degree in political science from Loyola Maryland. She was accepted into Rutgers Law School after a grueling eight months of studying while keeping up with a rigorous training schedule. Coan will return to the classroom after the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris and intends to study Title IX law.

Coan dreams of creating change — not just change at a university or change in a country, but social change that will show young women and girls what is possible and what they can do. The 37 words of Title IX have changed the lives of so many girls and young women, including Coan’s.

“I am a female. I have a disability. I’ve really had to fight for a lot of things in my life,” Coan said. “Title IX represents a lot of different things to me. It represents opportunities, anti-discrimination, protections, and getting females, particularly young women interested and doing more with their lives. And I really do believe that, being at such a young age and a young level.”

Though moving 600 miles away from her hometown of Clarkesville, Georgia, and transitioning to college life was far from easy, Coan found a home at Loyola Maryland. The university had a well-known science department, an inclusive swimming program, and an accessible campus in a beautiful city. Coan partnered with Loyola’s head swimming coach, Brian Loeffler, and her teammates to win races and become the best they could be. 

At Loyola Maryland’s Fitness and Aquatics Center, she trained alongside a group of almost 80 swimmers. Her team included a para group, and she had the opportunity to train and race with some of the best swimmers in the country. 

She learned some of her most important lessons during her time as a student-athlete and learned to push herself in ways she never thought were possible. Coan experienced numerous bone breaks, academic stress and discrimination during her college career. But she also competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she worked to create an inclusive and accessible campus at Loyola Maryland, won championships, and made countless memories with her teammates and coaches. 

Coan’s experience as a Division I student-athlete is a part of her remarkable journey but also served a foundational role in who she is.

“I never in a million years thought that I would have the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Division I level. It’s something you always dream of as a child. It’s something that will go down as one of my life’s greatest accomplishments and the things that I am most proud of,” she said. “What the NCAA has given to me and what it can give to other young women, I cannot stress that enough.”

Photos courtesy of McKenzie Coan and Getty Images