Background
Bradley Warren Snyder was born in Reno, Nevada to Michael and Valarie Snyder.
Bradley Warren Snyder was born in Reno, Nevada to Michael and Valarie Snyder.
He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2006 with a degree in naval architecture. While there, he was captain of the swim team
He lost his eyesight from an IED explosion while serving in the United States Navy in Afghanistan. Among fully blind swimmers, he is the current world record holder for the 100-meter freestyle events. He swam while attending Northeast High School in Saint St. Petersburg, Florida.
Snyder eventually became a lieutenant in the Navy, and served in Afghanistan as an explosive ordnance disposal officer
In September 2011, he lost both of his eyes after stepping on an IED in an attempt to help victims of another bombing. The explosion also gave him lacerations to his face and a shattered eardrum.
Snyder subsequently spent three weeks in intensive care, and then recovered for another five weeks in Florida. He explained, "When you’re kind of patching your life back together and figuring out how to adjust to blindness, you’re not good at anything.
Walking was a challenge.
Cooking’s a challenge. Dressing and color matching is a challenge. There are all these things that used to be no problem that are all of a sudden really challenging.
I had a hard time getting the right amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush, because I can’t see lieutenant"
Snyder was the guest speaker at the 2013 Navy-Marine Corps Ball, held at the Washington Hilton, Washington, District of Columbia.
His record time of 4:35.62 made him the current world leader among blind swimmers for the 400-meter freestyle.
The race also secured him a spot on the United States Paralympic team at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. In addition, Snyder is the world record holder for the 100-meter freestyle among blind athletes, an event that he also swam in Bismarck.
The United States Olympic Committee selected Brad to serve as the United States" flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. After the 2012 Paralympic Games, he hopes to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2013, Brad became the official spokesman for a tactile timepiece with his namesake, the "Bradley." Created by the product design company Eone Timepieces, the Bradley is designed in collaboration with vision impaired users.