Since the moment she was born, Karen Gaffney started an amazing journey that continues until today. Karen is the president of a non-profit organization that aims to achieve full integration of people with development disabilities in families, schools, workplaces, and the community.

It does so by creating awareness and drawing attention to the great capabilities of people with special needs. Karen had to work harder than her peers to graduate from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, and earned a two-year Associate of Science degree from Portland Community College. Additionally, she dreamed of being a swimming champion.

In 2001, Karen successfully swam in the 21-mile-wide English Channel as part of a six-person relay team. Two years ago, she swam across Lake Tahoe (more than 9 miles). This achievement was captured in the award-winning documentary Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer’s Dream.

Karen’s life shows the world that people with Down syndrome are no different from everyone else. She travels across the country and talks to a wide range of audiences about overcoming restrictions and about what can be achieved with positive expectations. Karen confronts any challenge she faces with determination and commitment, realizing that she has limits, but she doesn’t allow them to limit her pursuit of success.