The University of Akron Athletics
Grace Nuhfer Named Lake Erie Para Athlete of the Year
May 21 | Women's Swimming & Diving
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Former University of Akron swimmer Grace Nuhfer was named the Lake Erie Para Athlete of the Year on Sunday, May 25.
A four-year member of the University of Akron Swim and Dive Team, Grace Nufher has made her impact known.
Nuhfer, a native of Greenwood, Ind., was born with Brittle Cornea Syndrome, a type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome characterized by corneal thinning and loose ligaments in joints.
An active child who loved sports, Nuhfer began swimming competitively at the age of seven.
Nufher has set numerous Para swim records while claiming a Silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
At the Paris Paralympics, Nufher took Silver in the 100 Fly with a time of 1:03.88, finishing just .61 seconds behind the top time. She also competed in the 100 Back, 50 Free and 200 IM for Team USA. She became the first Paralympian to represent the Akron Blue and Gold, and just the third American to compete in any Olympic event for Akron.
In 2024-2025, she broke the S13 record in the 200 Fly with a time of 2:22.78, eclipsing the previous record of 2:24.07, at the TYR Pro Swim Series on April 5.
The previous S13 200 fly world-record holder was Italy's Carlotta Gilli, who posted a time of 2:24.07 in 2018. Gilli also won the gold medal in the S13 100 fly (1:03.27), finishing just ahead of Nuhfer.
Nufher also set the S13 record in the 100 Fly with a time of 56.65, breaking her own record of 56.85, which she set at the MAC Championships in 2024.
Along with competing at the Paris Paralympics, Nuhfer has represented Team USA at numerous events, including the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Graduating from the University of Akron with a 3.77 GPA, Nufher was named to the All-MAC Academic Team the past three seasons while being named to the CSC Academic All-District Team in 2025.
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