SPOTLIGHT – Paralympic Swimmers Visit Hudson Valley Ahead of 2024 Paris Games

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! You're Keepin' Company w/ Conor and this is another Townsquare Spotlight. This week, we are shedding a light on two swimmers SET TO COMPETE in the Paralympic Games Paris 2024! U.S. Paralympic Gold Medalist Jessica Long & U.S. Paralympic Hopeful Haven Shepherd reveal their preparations for Paris, their stories of survival and triumph, and their latest campaign with Team USA and Hershey: LEGEND vs. NEWCOMER.

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11th. Following that will be the Paralympic Games happening August 28th to September 8th. The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities.

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The 2024 Paris Olympics & Paralympics

As we near the opening ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games Paris 2024 and while the world’s excitement is building, the athletes are in full-on training mode. But with more than 605 swimmers expected to take the plunge, how do they prepare physically and mentally to swim laps around the comPetition?

Team USA and Hershey's LEGEND vs. NEWCOMER Campaign

Jessica Long became the youngest athlete on the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team back in 2004 at just 12 years old!  Since then, she’s competed in five taking home 29 medals to make her the second-most decorated Paralympian in U.S. history.  Her teammate, Haven Shepherd, is a newcomer, competing in her first ever Paralympics in 2020 and just missed out on a medal. So, in 2024 she’s looking for redemption.

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To celebrate this unique combo and commemorate The Hershey Company’s ongoing partnership with Team USA, Reese’s, known for its legendary combination of chocolate and peanut butter, has launched its first-ever seasonal shape for summer: Reese’s Medals.  To celebrate its own newcomer, Reese’s is teaming up with Jessica and Haven to help give fans a taste of friendly competition with the new Legend vs. Newcomer campaign! But that’s just the start of the fun they have planned for this summer

Haven Shepherd – Vietnamese-American Paralympic swimmer from Carthage, MO. A 2018 BBC 100 Women list, 2020 Paralympic Team Member, 2019 World Para Swimming Series Silver and Bronze Medalist, 2018 World Para Swimming Series Gold Medalist and 2017 Can-Am Open Gold Medalist.

Jessica Long - Russian-American Paralympic swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland, who comPetes in the S8, SB7 and SM8 category events.  Jessica is the Second-most decorated Paralympian in US History.  She has held many world records and comPeted at five Paralympic Games, winning 29 medals.  Jessica has won over 50 world championship medals.