Christie Raleigh Crossley ’05 has dreamed of being an Olympic swimmer for as long as she can remember. In fact, swimming at Pine Crest under Coach Jay Fitzgerald was a big part of making that dream a reality. “He was a phenomenal coach,” said Christie. “He helped me learn to be humble, and he coached me through developing my own unique competitive edge.”
However, a series of unexpected accidents delayed and altered that dream. After several setbacks and years of training, Christie is finally preparing for the 2024 Paralympics hosted in Paris, France as a proud member of Team U.S.A.
Christie Raleigh Crossley ’05
After graduating from Pine Crest, Christie received a scholarship to swim for Florida State University. She competed there for two years, earning multiple accolades including Athletic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year, and two back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American designations.
“After my sophomore season, in 2007, I was involved in a car accident with a drunk driver,” Christie said. “He smashed into the back of the car I was riding in, herniating three discs in my neck and one in my lower back. My doctors didn’t think I would swim again.”
Still, Christie was determined not to let the accident prevent her from achieving her goals and pursuing her dream.
“I stopped swimming temporarily but was one semester shy of completing my bachelor of arts degree in economics with a minor in business and a minor in communications. I received an offer to move to Baltimore to train with [Olympic gold medalist] Michael Phelps and the swimmers returning from the Beijing Olympics. So I swam the 2008-09 season with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.”
Three months before moving to Baltimore, Christie suffered another accident where she was hit by a car as a pedestrian. Christie was unaware at the time that the impact had caused a blood tumor to begin developing in her brain, and as a result she was beginning to lose function on the left side of her body. “When I swam in 2012, you can see that I was already experiencing some of what I do now,” she said. “At that time I chalked it up to overworking my muscles during training.”
By 2014, she was training for the Rio Olympic Trials when she slipped, fell, and re-herniated a disc in her lower back. After completing physical therapy, and two weeks before her wedding, Christie found out that she was pregnant with her second child, so training for Rio came to a halt.
A couple of years later, in 2018, Christie described feeling intense pain in her left arm, but was still unaware of the tumor growing on her brain. She had begun training for the Tokyo Olympic Trials, when she was accidentally struck in the head by a boulder of ice. “Slowly, I became unable to move the entire left side of my body,” Christie said. “I went to the hospital and they thought I was having a stroke, but that is when they found the tumor. It was bleeding and causing the temporary paralysis of my left side.”
“I had the tumor removed in January of 2019. Luckily it was operable, and the doctor said it would continue to grow if it wasn't removed. Because of where the tumor was, it makes it difficult for me to coordinate movement on my left side.”
“When the surgery was over, I thought I could go back to training for Tokyo. Once I got in the water, I realized that something still wasn’t right. My whole life I had wanted to be an Olympian, but Tokyo was not going to happen.”
Watching the Games in 2021, Christie saw the promotions for the Paralympic Games with [Paralympic Gold Medalist] Michelle Konkoly. “Watching her,” said Christie, “I thought to myself 'what is her disability?' I had such a limited understanding of the Paralympics. In May I went to a qualifier event and was selected to the US Paralympic Swimming National Team. In October, I went to Tijuana with athletes from Team U.S.A. and that's when I was Internationally Classified, which means that my race times can start counting for World Records and World Rankings. I have 11 American records, as well as the Americas record for the fastest time in North, Central, and South America. I am on track to compete in Paris in 2024!”
Christie Raleigh Crossley ’05 with her youngest daughter, Loughlin.
Christie’s training for the Games is a combination of pool work and physical therapy. “I swim seven days a week,” she said. “My training is different from non-disabled swimmers, and even other disabled swimmers without a neurological condition. I have to swim straight through practice without stopping. To keep my body healthy, I must complete physical therapy twice a week and meet with my chiropractor and acupuncturist twice a week as well. There is a lot of healing and recovery that goes into my training. This year is like a dress rehearsal for next year. I am trying to see what works and what doesn't so we can go into next year with the most effective and comprehensive training program possible.”
Reflecting on what it is like to be a part of Team U.S.A., Christie said “It has been really emotional. There is nothing that can compare to hearing your national anthem being played because of you. When that flag is raised and the Star Spangled Banner is played because of your accomplishments—there is nothing that makes you feel so much pride. It’s such a dream come true.”
Christie Raleigh Crossley ’05 uses American Sign Language (ASL) for "I love you" to acknowledge her oldest daughter, so she knows Christie is thinking about her watching from home.
Although the dream looks different than she had imagined, Christie is happy about how things have turned out. “Had I gone to the Olympics in 2008, I would be retired now,” she said. “It is more meaningful to be a part of Team U.S.A. as a mom and to have my children on this journey with me now. Oftentimes, many female athletes can only show videos of their achievements to their kids. Moms for so long have been in the background simply showing their kids a highlight reel. We are finally getting to do what men have almost always been able to do. I am happier things happened this way. I am proud and excited that my kids will be a part of Team U.S.A. too. They can come to meets with me, and my oldest even gets to be on the pool deck with me for certain events. I also have the privilege of showing them how to overcome major adversity—lead by example. My hope is that they’ll think ‘if mom can do it, I can do it. Anything is possible.’”
Follow Christie’s road to Paris on Instagram.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2024:
Christie has much to celebrate after competing in the Paralympic Games for the first time. The Paralympian won two gold, two silver and a bronze medal! She set two world record times; one in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S9 and the other in the 100-meter women's butterfly S9.