A beaming McKenzie Coan celebrated her homecoming return from the Paralympic Games in Rio on Friday.
The winner of three gold medals (50-meter, 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle swimming in the S7 classification for use of arms and trunk with limited use of legs) and one silver medal (4x100-meter freestyle relay) spoke at a homecoming rally at Paul Anderson Park in downtown Toccoa. With family, friends and students from Toccoa Elementary School, she recounted her years-long preparation for the games and her focus on her skills against competitors from throughout the world.
During the homecoming, she was presented with an American flag flown over the U. S. capitol in her honor, a proclamation from the physicians and staff of the Toccoa Clinic and a memory book signed by thousands of friends.
Coan, 20, now resumes her studies at Loyola University in Baltimore and continues her swimming regimen for future competitions.
