Trischa Zorn-Hudson
Inducted 2022

Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most decorated athlete in Olympic or Paralympic history. Her Paralympic swimming career spanned from 1980 to 2004, resulting in 55 medals – forty-one gold, nine silver, and five bronze. She was nominated as Sports Illustrated Women of the Year in 1988 and was inducted into the International Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2012.

For 10 years Zorn-Hudson taught in the inner-city schools of Indianapolis and says that years of swimming prepared her in many ways for a professional career in public service. The students that came through her classroom taught her life lessons she cherishes. During this time, she pursued her passion for law and was accepted into the McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. She graduated in 2007 and worked for two years at the Indiana Pro Bono Commission for two years helping those who were living in underserved communities.

Today, Zorn-Hudson works at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a legal instrument examiner for a 16-state region in helping to protect veterans’ benefits. In her words: “The core values of the agency align to my values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. It is the agency’s mission and mine to work diligently to serve veterans and their beneficiaries. Further, to be able to see veterans exposed to Paralympic sports after their injuries inspires me to continue to do the work I do daily.” During this time, she also volunteered and was a member of the board of directors for the United States Association for Blind Athletes, which brings sport and opportunities to the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals around the country.

Zorn-Hudson used her athletic stardom to serve as a role model for countless other Paralympians and Paralympic hopefuls. From her teaching to her current work with blind veterans, she impacted the blindness community long after her competitive career concluded.

Adapted from the nomination by Molly Quinn.