Jesse Reynolds is a 15-year-old competitive swimmer who wears a prosthetic leg on land due to a rare condition, proximal femoral focal deficiency (a malformed hip socket and no thigh bone).

But he did his first open water swim when he competed in the 5K race at the State Epic Swim and State Open Water Championships in New Zealand’s Lake Taupo this weekend.

Jesse’s mother described him to the New Zealand Herald, “Nothing holds Jesse back. He just wants to go out there and compete on an equal footing. He prefers the longer distances, as these require more stamina and determination rather than speed. In longer-distance swims such as this 5 kilometer, Jesse aims to give the able-bodied swimmers a run for their money.”

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source