Content creator Briel Adams-Wheatley has always loved the water
NEED TO KNOW
- Briel Adams-Wheatley, who was born without arms or legs, learned to swim as a child after her parents took her to the pool to help her stay cool in the summer heat
- She recalls her dad throwing her into the water so she could learn to float and protect herself, eventually gaining the confidence to jump off the high dive
- Now an adult, she says her lifelong love of swimming has come full circle, inspiring moments at her wedding and helping her show others through social media that people with disabilities can live fully and independently
Briel Adams-Wheatley has always loved the water.
Growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, she spent nearly every summer at the Farmington City Swimming Pool with her family, who bought season passes so they could go as often as possible.
“Since I have no arms and legs, it’s harder for my body to stay cool and regulate heat,” Adams-Wheatley tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I run really hot all the time, and in the summertime I was getting lots of hot flashes — sometimes to the point where I was passing out because I was so overheated.”…