Maggie Scherder, a student in the Succeed Program, won gold in three events at the 2023 Virtus Global Games held from June 4-10 in Vichy, France. Her exceptional showing included first-place finishes in the II2 division 50-meter backstroke, the II2 division 50-meter freestyle and the II2 division 100-meter backstroke. (Photo courtesy of Maggie Scherder)

For the second time in seven months, Maggie Scherder can call herself world champion.

Scherder, a student in the Succeed Program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, took the medal stand three times during the 2023 Virtus Global Games held from June 4-10 in Vichy, France. The competition is one of the world’s largest multi-sport events for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Her exceptional showing at the Vichy Community Aquatic Stadium during the international competition included gold medals in the II2 division 50-meter backstroke, the II2 division 50-meter freestyle and the II2 division 100-meter backstroke.

Scherder was thrilled and even a little surprised by the results.

“It felt great to win the gold medals and represent the USA,” she said. “My teammates, family and friends really supported me. I have won backstroke events before but never a freestyle event in an international competition. On the 50 freestyle, I swam as hard as I could and could not believe I came in first.”

Scherder, who has Down syndrome, has balanced her impressive swimming career with her studies in the Succeed Program – a postsecondary program in the College of Education designed to teach students with intellectual and developmental disabilities academic, job and life skills ­– and job as a swim instructor at the university’s Recreation and Wellness Center.

She said her preparation for the Virtus Global Games really kicked into gear after the school year.

“When I was at college, I only practiced a few times a week because of classes and work,” Scherder said. “At the beginning of May, I started practicing with the Flyers Aquatic Swim Team and with my parents almost every day and that got me prepared for France.”

This most recent success follows Scherder’s gold-medal performance at October’s 10th World Down Syndrome Swimming & Artistic Championships in Albufeira, Portugal. Not only was she the first American woman to win gold at the championships for her efforts in the 50-meter backstroke, she also won silver in the 100-meter backstroke, bronze in the 200-meter backstroke and gold as part of the 4×50 medley relay team. Her strong showing helped push the U.S. to a fourth-place finish in a field of 23 countries.

In 2018, she also represented the United States at the 9th World Down Syndrome Swimming & Artistic Championships in Truro, Nova Scotia, earning a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke. In 2019, she represented the U.S. again at the 5th Open European DSISO Swimming Championships in Sardinia, Italy, where she helped the national team to a third-place finish.

Succeed Program Director Jonathan Lidgus said Scherder is shining example of what Succeed students can accomplish.

“I am extremely proud of Maggie,” he said. “Students in the Succeed Program are making impacts at the university, in the St. Louis region and internationally. We are all learning from her passion and dedication.”