Leah Hayes wants to bring alopecia awareness to the Olympics
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. (BVM) – Leah Hayes is on a mission to make it to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. As a swimmer, it would be one of the greatest achievements of her career. However, the soon-to-be Kaneland High School senior doesn’t just want to go to compete, she also wants to use the platform to spread awareness about alopecia.
“I really want to make it to the Olympics so that I can show off internationally again that an autoimmune disease did not stop me in achieving my goals,” Hayes said. “Even with an autoimmune disease, people are capable of achieving their goals.”
Hayes was able to showcase that last year at the world championships, where she earned a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley (IM). She’s planning on doing it again this summer at worlds but the chance to do it on the Olympic stage would be even grander than what she has already done for the alopecia and autoimmune disease community.
The Virginia commit was first diagnosed with alopecia – an autoimmune disease that causes complete hair loss – when she was just 7 years old. That was around the same time she began swimming and it was swimming that helped her deal with her alopecia. Swimming was where she first became comfortable not wearing a wig because there was no need for her to wear a swim cap since she had no hair.
“It definitely helped me gain confidence and over time, I was able to show off my alopecia in other aspects like school and just public places without feeling insecure,” Hayes said. “Now I don’t wear a cap because I want to bring awareness to alopecia and let more people know about it.”
While she was gaining confidence in herself, Hayes was also becoming one of the best young swimmers in the nation. With the help of her coach, Nancy Hooper – who was the first to notice Hayes’ potential and get her into competitive swimming – she quickly began to rise through the swimming ranks.
It wasn’t long before she was setting junior national records. In 2016, she broke the record for the 200m freestyle and soon after, she watched the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. That’s when Hayes turned her sights to becoming an Olympian.
“I watched the 2016 Olympics which was the same year that I had broken the national record (in the 200m freestyle) and that’s what inspired my Olympic dreams,” Hayes said. “From there, I remember being like, ‘You know what, I want to be an Olympian. I want to go to the Olympics,’ and it’s been my dream ever since.”
In 2021 as a 15-year-old, she placed 10th and 11th in the IMs at the U.S. team trials for the Tokyo Olympics. Hayes missed out on Tokyo but last year, she made her Team USA debut at worlds.
Even though she was dealing with a stress fracture in her foot, Hayes got on the podium in the 200m IM and earned a bronze medal. Her time of 2:08.91 at worlds was almost four seconds better than her time at the Olympic trials the previous year (2:12.89).
“It’s still pretty surreal,” Hayes said. “After worlds it took me months to grasp where I was in swimming. I just couldn’t come to terms with that. I finally accomplished my goal in life of being on the national team and performing for the United States of America internationally.”
It was a massive career milestone that she then followed up with a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia. Hayes is considered the No. 2-ranked recruit in the nation for the Class of 2024 by SwimSwam.
Since then, Hayes has continued to train for worlds as well as the Olympic trials that will take place next year, all while being a role model for others.
“It warms my heart every single time that I hear about someone that has gone into swimming because of me or they transitioned from wigs to hats to being bald and being more comfortable with themselves,” Hayes said. “It brings me to tears because it makes me so happy and I know what they’ve been through and I understand their journey and to know that I was helping them a little bit with my story, it’s so heartwarming.”
In 2018, she was named SportsKid of the Year by Sports Illustrated. Then, before, as well as after, the world championships last year, she spoke to media outlets about alopecia.
“I was so happy to be a voice for alopecia and autoimmune diseases,” Hayes said.
Hayes will continue to be a voice for her community and as her swimming career progresses, that voice could become a lot louder. Whether it’s at the world championships, the NCAA or the Olympics, Hayes is an inspiration to those who watch her.
