7 
The ESPY Awards are like the Oscars for sports. In 2007, I received a phone call from my agent, who told me that I was nominated for Best Female Athlete with a Disability! I should mention that these votes are cast by the general public, so my family had sent out lots of emails and posts on social media to vote, vote, vote. Still, it was a big honor to even be nominated. I decided to take my big sister Amanda with me as my date. She is someone I always looked up to, and I knew we’d have a great time together. My mom took us shopping at Nordstrom for gowns. Amanda and I would be walking the red carpet with other athletes and celebrities, so I wanted it to be perfect. I settled for a bright blue silk dress with an open back. I fell in love with it immediately, especially because it showed my strong swimmer’s back. The ESPYs are held in Los Angeles, so they flew my sister and me first class, and I felt like a true celebrity. When we got to our hotel room, we found out about the ESPY gift suites. My sister and I went to the third floor, where all kinds of brands had stations set up featuring their clothes and accessories. We walked from room to room, adding gifts to our bag. I remember thinking, This is all for simply being nominated for an award? My favorite gifts were a custom pair of True Religion jeans and a pair of Fendi sunglasses, both of which I still own.
We saw Michael Phelps at the 2007 ESPYs and I had to get a picture.
Leaving the ESPYs after-after-party in Los Angeles, California, with my sister Amanda.
After “shopping” the gift suites, we went to the pre-party. This was when I really felt as if I had made it bigtime. There are pre-parties, after-parties, and even an after-after-party at the ESPYs. I knew my chances of meeting celebrities were really good, but I didn’t expect to see one of my favorites. Amanda and I were at the pre-party, laughing and having a great time admiring everyone’s clothing and dancing with each other, when my sister made a comment about how funny it would be if we saw Hilary Duff. I kid you not, no more than thirty seconds later I turned around and saw Hilary Duff. I didn’t work up the nerve to run over and say hi, but just being in the same room with her meant the world to me. The Lizzie McGuire Movie is one of my all-time favorites.
Everything at the ESPYs is designed to make you feel special. The following day, Amanda and I got our hair and makeup done, put on our new attire in our hotel room, and set off to walk the red carpet. When our car arrived at the event, there was a sign directing the attendees and nominees. I was in awe of the whole experience. Amanda knew more of the celebrities than I did, pointing them out to me as we walked. There were so many cameras, and I loved pausing to pose for each one. We took our time on the red carpet, soaking up every minute of it.
I ended up winning that year. Since Best Female Athlete with a Disability is not a televised category, my award wasn’t presented live. My name flashed on the screen as the ceremony was on commercial break, but I didn’t care. I won! I left the theater to go to the bathroom to call my family and share the good news. The ESPY was later sent to our house, and it had my name engraved on the front of the little plaque. We discovered that the statue is a lot heavier than it looks. That award is something I’m really proud of. A lot of athletes dream of being invited to the ESPYs, and I’ve had the privilege four times. I won in 2007, 2012, and 2013. I was nominated in 2009, but Erin Popovich won that year. If there’s anyone who’s allowed to beat me, it’s Po. I was so happy for her. I am truly grateful simply to have been at these events with all these incredible athletes.
Running into Selena Gomez while walking the red carpet at the 2013 ESPY Awards.