AVON LAKE, Ohio — One young athlete continues to break down barriers as she prepares to represent her country in international competition.

Hundreds of medals are gathered on a rack in Nelya Stary Schasfoort’s room in Avon Lake. 

“Oh my God, I can hardly lift these. She has all these medals,” said Karen Stary, Nelya’s mom. 

Earning those medals did not come easy.

“She was adopted from Ukraine at age two,” said Stary. “When she was adopted, her arms were really straight. She couldn't move her arms, and I hate to say this, but she ate like a puppy. She ate out of a bowl, her food, and she'd pick up her glass with her teeth.” 

Nelya has a condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC), which limits the range of motion in the joints of her arms. It’s a congenital condition that a child is born with. 

She started swimming for therapy as a child, realized she was quite good at the sport and began swimming competitively.

“She'd swim for two hours, and she just did so amazing with that and it's so great,” Stary said. “She started competing at a young age and then, like I said, by the time she was 12, she was already on team USA.” 

Her doctors' warned that she might never use her arms, but her mother is an occupational therapist. 

“The doctor originally said, she's not going to be able to ever lift her arms. Well, first of all, you never tell a mom that, and you never tell a mom who's a therapist that, so she got therapy, literally all over the United States and Europe and the Caribbean, and yet, she raises her arms over the head and she's doing amazing,” said Stary. “She has all these medals, but I think the proudest moment was when she came to me and she goes, `Mom, I put my earrings in by myself’ because she was able to lift her arms and put her earrings.”

Stary Schasfoort has two world records and has competed in many national and international competitions. She is now a freshman track athlete in the Adapted Athletics program at San Diego State University, and she’s currently training for something pretty cool. 

“My goal is to go to the U.S. Paralympics in Tokyo this summer,” said Stary Schasfoort. “They are two weeks after the Olympics. We use the exact same stadiums, same venues, the same villages. Everything's the same just two weeks after.”

At 18, Stary Schasfoort graduated from Avon Lake High School early to move across the country to train for her dream. 

“I do the 100, 200, 400 and long jump,” said Stary Schasfoort. “I don't look at myself and say, well, I can't do this because I have a disability. I just say that I can do this because why would I stop myself from doing it?”

Stary Schasfoort continues to defy the odds and give hope and encouragement to other young athletes with disabilities.

 “I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way. I like being a little different, it adds spice to my life," said Stary Schasfoort. "Always push yourself. Don't not push yourself even when you don't have something or you don't want to, cause that will push you farther, especially having a disability because people will look at you and be like, well, she didn't have a track for these two months, but she was still out running every day. She was still doing this. People will look at you differently in a good way...So definitely push through any negatives or any obstacles or even your disability keep pushing through it."

Nelya has about two months left to train for this summer’s paralympic games, but knows despite what happens, she has a lifetime of support and love from her fans and family in her home state of Ohio.

“She's amazing,” said Stary. “She's trying really hard. And that's what's most important.”