Tera Bradham - Swimming for Freedom: A True Story of Faith, Hope, and Victory

Swimming for Freedom is a must-read for anyone who has participated in a sport or had a setback in life. Teras journey is the ultimate comeback story of someone who persevered in faith through impossible odds.

JOSH DAVIS, THREE-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

Swimming for Freedom shows how God can heal with just a mustard seed of faith. Teras story is proof that you can find so much more freedom in what he has planned for your life than what you have planned. Teras daily sacrifice to press into Gods voice will challenge you to do the same and find the freedom and healing God has for your life.

BETHANY GALAT, SILVER MEDALIST AT 2017 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Teras perseverance and ultimate redemption is a tale to be shared. How much pain can a human endure, even when they have a competitive fire off the charts like hers? In her honor, I dedicated my morning swim set to Tera the Terror! Im fifty-five years old, and the pain I felt was nothing compared to what she experienced. Thinking of her helped me through the worst parts. Bravo, Tera, for capturing the essence of your unique and incredible journey into words.

MIKE KOLEBER, OWNER OF NITRO SWIMMING

Athletes do amazing things when they want to reach their goals. Tera is one of those athletes and has the heart and mind of a champion. Despite her injury, she made all of us proud.

STEVE BULTMAN, FORMER US OLYMPIC COACH, HEAD COACH, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

From the very first page of Swimming for Freedom, I was hooked and deeply inspired. I couldnt put the book down. While reading about Teras riveting tales of struggle and triumph, I wondered how I, too, would have responded. I highly encourage you to get two copies of this book: one for you and one for the person in your life who might be going through a personal hell. The reading experience of her story is like a good friend counseling you to never give up.

JOSH FOLIART, FOUNDER OF MULTIPLi GLOBAL

Tera is one of the most competitive athletes I have ever seen. I was one of the few who got to coach Tera before her injury, and her potential was limitless. Even though her potential fell prey to undiagnosed injuries, she overcame those setbacks and turned them into a story of triumph that will inspire the world.

RANDY REESE, FORMER US OLYMPIC COACH

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

Swimming for Freedom: A True Story of Faith, Hope, and Victory

Copyright 2020 by Tera Bradham

978-1-4245-5892-6 (softcover)

978-1-4245-5893-3 (e-book)

This book is a memoir. It reflects the authors present recollections of experiences over time. Some names and characteristics have been changed, some events have been compressed, and some dialogue has been recreated.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email .

Cover Photo: Elements of Light Photography MT

Literary agent: Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency

Cover and interior by Garborg Design at GarborgDesign.com

Printed in the United States of America
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To my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through whom the impossible is just a prayer away.

It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Daniel 4:23

W hen I started working for Swimming World Magazine in 2014, I envisioned myself as a full-time feature writer. I wanted nothing more than the job description I was presented, which included overseeing the college internship program.

I sat across from my new boss and future colleague as they described the freshly contrived internship program. It sounded like a disaster. One employee was attempting to edit for and send feedback to over thirty inexperienced college writers while also posting their own stories to Swimming Worlds online platform. I tried not to shudder at the prospect of taking the wheel of such an out-of-control vehicle.

The majority of my job became editing for and corresponding with college interns, most of whom were college swimmers. In order to apply for the internship, applicants had to submit a writing sample. I read through the samples and took notes on each entry as they came in. Rarely did any blow me away. These were student athletes after all, which meant their priorities were school, sport, and then this potential extracurricular, unpaid internship. I graded each entry on a spreadsheet, and one name stood out from the get-go: Tera Bradham. Texas A&M. A++++. I loved her writing style. You knew a big heart pumped out such passionate words.

Tera was accepted to the program, and as I became better acquainted with her, I began to see her gritty nature in full light. She swam the hardest events in the collegiate lineup and was in the midst of a comeback from a nearly decade-long agonizing bicep/shoulder injury. Oh, not to mention she was also getting her masters while swimming at a Division I school.

I was a D-I swimmer and national champion breaststroker for the University of Arizona. Im married to a four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer. I have experienced and witnessed what it takes to make it to the pinnacle of the sport. Tera had put in the training and climbed the ladder prior to this injury. She experienced excruciating, involuntary backpedaling in her swimming career because no one could figure out what was wrong. She had no idea how long this train wreck of misdiagnoses could last.

We have all been stuck at some point. Weve had our hands-in-the-air moments when we plead with God, What on earth could be beneficial from within this dark cavity of my life? Janet Erskine Stuart said, Joy is not the absence of suffering but the presence of God. This life hurts. And our culture tells us it shouldnt. But the Bible never makes such a shaky claim. The greatest human to ever live knew he was not placed on earth to live a life of luxury but to be tortured, mocked, and executed for the sake of those who dragged him through earthly hell.