Which swimmer is the most decorated Paralympian in history?

Trischa Zorn is the most decorated Paralympian in history.

The American swimmer won 55 Paralympic medals, including 41 gold medals, across seven Games from 1980 to 2004. She competed in the B1 classification and was blind, racing in swimming events across multiple distances and strokes.

Zorn’s medal total is the highest recorded by any Paralympic athlete. Her achievements include an extraordinary run at the 1984 New York and Stoke Mandeville Games, where she won 12 gold medals and 3 silver medals.

People sometimes compare her record with athletes from other sports whose medal counts are also exceptional. However, the overall Paralympic record belongs to Zorn. Her career also illustrates how earlier Games included larger numbers of events in some classifications, creating more medal opportunities than in many modern programmes.