Minnesota teen breaks Paralympic swim records at nationals

15-year-old Koehn Boyd has dealt with significant medical challenges throughout his life. Adopted from Ukraine at a young age, Boyd was born without stomach muscles and has undergone 17 surgeries to treat his rare condition.

Now, Boyd is breaking records and setting his sights on the 2028 Summer Paralympics. In July, he took a major step toward that goal by competing in the Hartford Nationals.

Hosted by Move United, the Hartford Nationals serve as a pipeline to the Paralympic Games. Boyd made his way to Birmingham, Alabama to compete.

“It was exciting to swim at the Birmingham Crossplex,” Boyd said. “It is hard not to be excited at an event like the Hartford Nationals. The energy was electric.”

Boyd broke multiple American Paralympic swim records at the competition. He is now the nation's top para swimmer for the short course 100-yard individual medley, short course 50-yard butterfly and long course 50-meter butterfly.

Boyd enjoyed seeing his peers succeed as well. “Of course it was cool to win 7 gold medals and set a couple American Para Swimming records, but it was even greater to celebrate with other athletes as they achieved personal records,” Boyd said.

Boyd lives with his adoptive parents and siblings in Ramsey. When he’s not busy swimming or attending online school, Boyd often volunteers at Grace Fellowship in Brooklyn Park, where his father is a pastor.

When it came to youth athletics, Boyd had limited options. He couldn’t participate in contact sports due to his conditions: Prune Belly Syndrome and Kidney Disease. But at age eight, Boyd started swimming.

“It was a sport that allowed me to adapt and overcome my physical limitations,” he said.

Boyd is a member of the Edina Swim Club and often trains at the Edina Aquatic Center. His coach, Jeff Rodriguez, is impressed by the young athlete.

“He's definitely on a different level,” Rodriguez said. “He’s on our national team and doing some of these higher level performing meets with some of the best in the country.”

While Boyd often competes individually, Edina Swim Club helps him train. “Each week, our team focuses on a balanced diet, plenty of sleep, some strength training and a lot of time in the pool. I swim between 20 and 25 miles each week,” he said.

By 2028, Boyd hopes to be a D1 college swimmer and compete in the 2028 Paralympics. According to Joe Boyd, his son’s recent wins set him up well.