Alexander Hillhouse’s Journey From His Backyard Pool To Paris 2024 

As the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games draw near, Denmark eagerly anticipates the debut of one of its brightest stars, Paralympic swimmer Alexander Hillhouse.

From the calming waters of his backyard pool to the world stage, Alexander’s journey is as inspiring as it is remarkable.

“My biggest supporter is my mom, dad, coaches, and teammates. They mean the world to me, and I’m grateful to have them by my side wherever I go,” Alexander shares, reflecting on the unwavering encouragement that has fuelled his athletic journey.

Unlike many other athletes who fell in love with their sport in school or through therapy, Alexander fell in love with the sport in his backyard pool and how killer whales used to swim.

“I had a back pool in the backyard. When I was little and I just fell in love with it (swimming). I thought that it would be pretty cool, just probably to swim in it and I found it interesting and like killer whales and how they swim. And I think I just wanted to be like them because I just love the pool and I like the whales and how they swim and I think it got me motivated to train all the time.”

Inspired by swimming legend Michael Phelps, Alexander’s passion for the sport ignited after witnessing Phelps’ historic achievements at the Beijing Olympics.  

“Phelps is my role model, his success motivated me to pursue swimming with all my heart,“ Alexander enthuses. 

Navigating the challenges of early morning training sessions and the invisible nature of his intellectual impairment, Alexander remains stubborn in his hunt of excellence.

“It’s just something that I have and I’m alright with that or that I figure out that I could be this person, you know. In other words, like, sure, we’ll give it a shot and see how it goes. And I gotta say, having intellectual impairment has changed my life actually. Going around the world, representing my country, winning competitions.”

“Everyone thinks that I just look like a normal person, but when they see me then they know that I’m a little bit autistic. You can see the impairment in people who have physical or visual impairment, but everyone just doesn’t think that about me. It’s good in a way. Everyone just thinks that I’m just a normal kid and I’m just swimming really fast.  

“Waking up early is tough, but it’s part of the journey, but I’m committed to pushing my limits and achieving my goals.” he admits.  

With a rigorous training regimen comprising 10 sessions per week, Alexander’s dedication is unwavering. 

“I train every morning from Monday to Friday, with additional sessions on Saturdays,” he explains. “It’s demanding, but I love every moment in the pool.“ 

Alexander received his Virtus eligibility in early 2020 which opened his international para-swimming career. Alexander won two gold, three silver and two bronze at the 2023 Virtus Global Games and aspires to repeat his results at the next Global Games too. 

“Vichy 2023 was my first Virtus Global Games, I did some great racing over there. It was pretty amazing. All the friendships I made there were like pretty real. My hard work paid off as I came back with some amazing results. I hope I can do the same at the upcoming Global Games in Cairo 2027.” 

Alexander won two gold, three silver and two bronze along with four Danish records at the 2023 Virtus Global games last year.

Reflecting on his journey, Alexander also highlighted his silver medal win at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester as a defining moment. 

 “Qualifying for Paris 2024 was a dream come true, it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone who supported me.”  

Looking ahead, Alexander’s sights are set on breaking the world record in the 100m butterfly, a feat that epitomizes his pursuit of excellence.  

“I’m determined to push the boundaries of what’s possible, it’s a challenge I’m ready to embrace,” he asserts. 

As Alexander prepares to represent Denmark at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, his focus extends beyond medals to embracing the experience of competing on the global stage. 

“I’ve been wanting a medal since like Michael Phelps won a gold medal and just any medal and I am also looking forward to the whole Paralympic games experience too. I think the experience could be amazing because it’s Paris 2024, it only happens once in four years, It’s a privilege to compete alongside friends from around the world,“ Alexander shares. 

To aspiring athletes with intellectual impairments, Alexander’s message is one of resilience and determination. 

“Never give up, with dedication and perseverance, anything is possible ”  

As Denmark rallies behind Alexander Hillhouse, the nation celebrates his journey from backyard pools to international podiums. With each stroke, Alexander embodies the spirit of determination and the power of dreams, proving that with unwavering commitment, the sky’s the limit. 

Join Virtus’ #MakingInvisibleVISIBLE campaign in making Alexander’s journey Visible.

What is Intellectual Impairment? 

Intellectual impairment is an umbrella term to describe a vast and neuro-diverse group of people with varying types of cognitive impairments including intellectual disability, Down syndrome and autism. Having an intellectual impairment impacts how an athlete understands the rules of the sport, interacts with other players, and adjusts to different environments. They might find it difficult to manage reaction times, remember specific race or game strategies, retain focus for long period of time, or maintaining impulse control.