Falls Student Preparing to Compete on International Stage

Becca Stelpflug said it was Michael Phelps who first piqued her interest in swimming. And in the future, she expects to help youngsters with disabilities realized their goals in the pool.

But for now, the focus is on her personal journey. The Menomonee Falls High School student, who has cerebral palsy, is preparing to compete in the Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will be held in Athens, Greece, this summer.

“I’ve never been there, so hopefully, it will be a good experience,” she said. “I’m really excited and feel really blessed to get this opportunity.”

More than 7,500 athletes from around the world will compete in the event, which runs from June 25 to July 4. She has come a long way, going from someone who was the slowest swimmer in her group to the fastest.

“I started when I was eight, it gave me something to do,” she said.  “I liked Michael Phelps. I liked his technique and his speed and that he always won. I had hoped that one day it would be me. That’s why I work so hard at it.”

During a recent workout at the Tri-County YMCA, Stelpflug went through a three-hour workout trying to build up her endurance for her big opportunity in Greece.

Stelpflug, who competed in the Special Olympics national games in Lincoln, Neb., in 2009, is excited about getting a chance to compete on an international level. She will compete in the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke and in a relay event in Athens.

“I do so much more swimming now than I did two years ago,” Stelpflug said. “I like competing and it’s good exercise. I think it’s going to pay off once it all comes together.”

Stelpflug will be spending the week in San Diego, Calif., for a week of preparation in anticipation of the Summer Games. There she will work out five hours each day. And those difficult workouts will continue until she leaves for Greece.

The Special Olympics was started in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver for the purpose of providing athletic opportunities to children and adults who have intellectual disabilities. That vision has grown into a world-wide movement. According to the Special Olympics, more than 3.1 million people compete in a variety of events in 185 countries.

And for athletes such as Stelpflug, it gives them an opportunity to compete on a world stage.

“I get to do the sports that I can do and to show people without disabilities that people with disabilities can do things and do it better than a lot of people,” she said. ”That’s why I do it.”

Stelpflug’s story began in Peru, where she was born 20 years ago. When she was two months old, Becca was adopted by Rita Stelpflug.  Becca suffers from short-term memory loss and has spent her years in the special education program in the Menomonee Falls School District. She has struggled in the classroom but has persevered. She expects to graduate from Menomonee Falls in 2012.

Then, she said, she wants to work as a camp counselor and work specifically with autistic children. In that role, she will also serve as an ambassador of sorts for the Special Olympics.

“It’s great to do different sports, it keeps them in shape,” Stelpflug said. “It gives them a chance to compete and I think that’s the greatest thing ever.”