CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Congratulations are in order for NC athlete Hannah Aspden.
The Queens University student and Raleigh native won gold in the Tokyo Paralympics Women's swimming 4x100m relay.
The university reported she's the first Queens University athlete to ever win gold at either the Olympics or Paralympics, making history for the school.
This isn't Aspden's first time in the international spotlight, nor is this her first medal. She made a splash at the Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016 two years before going to college, bringing home two bronze medals at the age of 16.
She was the youngest U.S. swimmer to earn a medal in either the Olympics or Paralympics at that time.
Aspden previously spoke to WCNC Charlotte about growing up in the water. She was born without her left leg and found her passion with swimming at a young age.
In Tokyo, Aspden's passion proved itself. The official Twitter account for the Paralympic games captured the moment after Aspden had finished the race, looking back emotionally as she floated underneath the starting block.
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