Charlie Swearingen left the Millsaps College campus with a degree in his hand and returned 25 years later with a Parapan silver medal in his pocket. He had one coach in particular he wanted to thank for reaching his Paralympic dream.
The Gulfport, Miss., native walked across the Hangar Dome court and presented Millsaps head volleyball coach Jamie Fisher with one of his Paralympic jerseys. The two had trained together in 2009 and this meeting as well as his time as a student at the college led to a life filled with incredible athletic and career accomplishments.
Swearingen began his academic journey at Millsaps in 1995, where he was a member of the baseball team and sports editor of the college’s Purple and White publication before earning a geology degree.
Charlie Swearingen 1997 Yearbook photo
He made it into paramedic school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, found an interest in the flight program and became a flight paramedic.
However, the goal of helping others as a Chief Flight Paramedic was put on hold when the opportunity to represent Team USA beckoned.
Millsaps College 1997 Baseball Team Charlie Swearingen, seated on the left.
Born without ankle bones or the small, non-weight-bearing fibulas in his lower legs, Swearingen never let physical limitations slow him down. In fact, he ran a 4-minute, 51-second mile and was working toward earning a spot on the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Team.
His athletic abilities brought him to a prospect camp in Oklahoma where he learned about the sport of sitting volleyball. His athletic talents from baseball and running translated well to volleyball, but he needed sport-specific training to keep up with the top-level competitors.
Swearingen knew he would have to earn his spot if he wanted to return to Oklahoma and make the U.S. National Team.
Flying back to Jackson, Swearingen searched for the Millsaps volleyball coach on his phone. He messaged coach Fisher, told her his ambitions and asked if she would train him. After some further instructions from the U.S. National Team coach, she happily agreed.
“She’s so humble and does things clearly out of the goodness of her heart,” Swearingen said. “I wasn’t an athlete that had earned a scholarship with her that she needed to push and drive to get the best out of, but I still got that same push.”
The pair trained 2-4 times per week, sometimes twice a day, for six months, learning the basics and progressing to more advanced movements. He steadily improved and his growth in the sport was noticed after he returned to prospect camps.
Coach Fisher described Charlie as the ultimate competitor who wouldn’t let anything stand in his way.
“You could tell from the moment we met that he had a goal,” Fisher said. “He had this challenge that he needed to meet and there wasn’t anything that was going to get in his way of accomplishing that.”
Again Swearingen returned to Jackson and received the call of his athletic life in January 2010. As he was driving down Woodrow Wilson Drive, which divides Millsaps College from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the U.S. National Team coach gave him the news that he’d be representing Team USA.
Charlie Swearingen Credit: USA Men’s National Sitting Volleyball Team Facebook
“That moment was very cool because it was where I left,” Swearingen said. “Everything was right there on that corner with Millsaps on one corner and the ‘U’ on the other.”
That corner was symbolic for everything he had worked for athletically and career-wise. AirCare, the paramedic helicopter he worked with, was flying overhead at the same time the message was received, making the moment even more memorable.
The table had been set and Swearingen’s dream of being a Paralympic athlete was now a reality. Over the next six years, he trained and competed for the Stars and Stripes.
Coach Fisher was thrilled he made Team USA, but not surprised.
“Anybody would be thrilled to have someone like Charlie in their gym,” Fisher said. “He’s going to push the people around him; he’s going to be an incredible teammate and leader.”
His athletic achievements that followed were numerous, with him securing four Parapan silver medals against North American nations.
The highlight of his Paralympic journey came when Team USA qualified for the Paralympic Games in Rio after securing silver at the Parapan-American Games in 2015.
“You know we talk about all the beautiful moments,” Swearingen said. “When they put the medal on me, I remember thinking we just punched our ticket to Rio and I remember saying a quick little prayer of thanks and thanked Jaime for all her help.”
Swearingen presented Coach Fisher with his Team USA jersey.
Though he says his volleyball days may be done, Swearingen is still leaving the door open to come out of retirement and wear the Team USA jersey once more when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Paralympic Games.
Today he continues his work with AirCare and owns a business that has trained over 10,000 people in critical response care, including elite forces of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command, U.S. Navy SEAL Teams and the Pararescuemen of the Air Force.
Last fall, Swearingen’s Paralympic dreams came full circle during a Millsaps College volleyball match when he was able to show his appreciation by gifting Coach Fisher one of his Team USA Paralympic jerseys with the Parapan medal proudly in his pocket
Swearingen hugging Coach Fischer after giving her his Team USA jersey.
“I only have a couple of those jerseys, but I wanted her to have it because I wouldn’t have been there without Coach Fisher,” he explained.
Coach Fisher says she was proud to be a part of his journey and was surprised, honored and grateful to receive a jersey. She says he has certainly left a positive mark on the college that has meant so much to him.
“Charlie is just one of those genuine guys … He’s a great representative of Millsaps and (demonstrates) what we are constantly trying to instill in our student-athletes,” Jaime said.