51³Ô¹ÏÍø senior co-captain Hannah Fitton has not once let Usher syndrome stand in the way of pursuing her dreams. The major is rounding out her final season for the Division I Raiders.
The senior swimmer lives by a simple motto, swim fast, have fun. Fitton is a go-getter who not only spends her time in the pool, but also studied forensic anthropology in the Balkans as an Alumni Memorial Scholar and is a cellist with the . She has been playing the cello since she was in the fourth grade.
Fitton was diagnosed at age 13 with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that results in hearing loss and visual impairment. She uses music and her cello as a way to improve her hearing since the instruments provide many different sounds and vibrations.
In the pool, Fitton has been a four-year member of the women’s swimming and diving team and will be competing in her final Patriot League Championship Meet this week at Navy. Outside of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø she was a member of the Great Britain team at the 2009 Deaflympics and won three bronze medals and a silver. In 2011 she competed again for Great Britain and medaled at the Deaf World Championships.