09/04/2026
So excited to share the story of this talented and hardworking woman!
Sydney Blackhurst is a state-record holder and state champion in swimming in her home state of Arizona. She was recruited by the University of Alabama while in high school and signed on, looking forward to a successful collegiate career and beyond.
Then, her body started failing her. Intense bouts of fatigue and dizziness landed her in doctors’ offices. The explanations were never conclusive. Over the course of months, the symptoms escalated until she couldn’t leave her bed.
“I couldn’t swim. I couldn’t go to school. I could barely hold a conversation with my parents,” she said. “It got very, very, very sad…every single doctor had no idea what to do.”
Blackhurst underwent months of testing and saw some of the top doctors around the world, looking for answers. Eventually, she was diagnosed with several auto-immune disorders and chronic conditions. But even with a diagnosis, treatment was hard to find.
Blackhurst says she gave up on her future, but her parents never did.
Days before she was set to move to Tuscaloosa, her parents found a new treatment for her to try. It worked.
Blackhurst describes it as like her body “woke up.”
“I was relearning how to learn again, go to school, swim, talk to people,” she said.
Throughout her recovery, Blackhurst has used swimming as a form of therapy.
Now, through her organization Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation, Blackhurst is bringing that therapy to children with disabilities and chronic conditions.
See the full story on ABC 33/40 tonight at 6 pm!
