ONU's Peggy Ewald named to Team USA coaching staff for 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Jeneiro

By Tim Glon

| 2016 Rio Paralympics site | Team USA Paralympics site |

ADA — Ohio Northern men's swimming and diving coach Peggy Ewald is adding another international accomplishment to her impressive resume.

She will serve on the coaching staff for Team USA at the 2016 Paralympics Games Sept. 7-18 in Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil.  

This marks the third Paralympics Games in which Ewald has represented Team USA, as she was also part of the coaching staff of the 2008 Paralympics Games in Beijing, China, and the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, England.

In all, Ewald has participated in more than 20 international championships events during her career and has served as head coach for the for the 2007 ParaPanAm Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and the head coach for the 2009 Youth ParaPanAm Games in Bogota, Columbia.

In her 12 seasons at the helm of Ohio Northern's men's and women's swimming and diving programs, Ewald guided the men's team to Ohio Athletic Conference Championships titles in each of those 12 years and the women's team to seven OAC titles.

The Polar Bear men have won 10 OAC Regular Season Championships and have had 16 OAC Swimmers of the Year, 90 OAC Individual titles, 44 OAC relay titles, 13 NCAA All-Americans and 29 Academic All-OAC honorees and were named a Scholar All-America Team for the 2015-16 season.

The ONU women have won 10 OAC Regular Season crowns as well as seven OAC Championship titles, have had five OAC Swimmers of the Year, 70 OAC Individual titles, 38 OAC relay titles, eight Scholar All-Americans, five Scholar All-American Teams and 57 Academic All-OAC honorees.

She was named the OAC Men's Coach of the Year in '16, '12, '11, '10, '09, '08 and '05 and the OAC Women's Coach of the Year in '12, '11, '09, '07 and '06.

Her squads have set 151 school records during her tenure.

Ewald is a Level 4 ASCA certified swimming coach, a level 5 ASCA certified disabled swimming coach and has 21 years of coaching experience working with novice to National Champions. She was one of the Level III (of III levels) coaches on the travel list with the US Paralympic Team.

She was the head coach for the US Paralympic team for the 2007 Para Pan Am Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; was the head coach for the 2009 Youth ParaPanAm Games in Bogota, Columbia; was the Team Leader for the 2011 ParaPan Am Games Team in Guadalajara, Mexico; served as an assistant coach for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, and was an Assistant Team Leader for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, England.

She was also with Team USA as Sports Science Specialist for 2013 World championships in Montreal, Canada, 2014 Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena, Calif. and the 2015 World Championships in Glasglow, Scotland.

She served with the non-profit group Dare2Tri out of Chicago, IL for the Annual Paratriathlete Training Camps. Ewald served as the open water swimming coach, 2014 and 2015 for these Training Camps on the Road to Rio in 2016.