NASHVILLE, TN – Senior
Liza Corso left Paris with a bronze medal in the Women's 1500m T13 race, the second medal she has received in the two times she has competed at the Paralympic Games. Even though she earned a silver medal back at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the bronze she came home with this year held a lot more weight to it.
Corso found out nearly immediately after she qualified for this year's games that she had a stress fracture in her femur, benching her from her usual training. As a result, she was only able to run eight miles during the six weeks leading up to her trip to Paris.
"There was so much uncertainty with being injured, so these games really meant a lot," Corso explained. "This medal meant so much to me. There were a lot of times when I was doubting, or just not sure how the race would turn out, so this one is super special." Liza shared about how this was the hardest training she had ever done, not only physically, but mentally. The toll of not being able to train the way she wanted and the feeling of unpreparedness leading up to the Paralympics was weighing heavy on her mind.
In light of all the stresses, Liza's Lipscomb support system made the journey much smoother. She spoke about how classmates, professors, and staff on campus were expressing their well-wishes and their pride in knowing she would be representing not just the school, but the country. Corso talked at length about the culture at Lipscomb and the importance to her of being surrounded by like-minded people. Her faith is a large part of who she is and why she runs.
Corso competing in the 1500m T13 at the Paris 2024 Paralympics
"My faith in God giving me this ability to run gives me motivation every day. I want to be able to give back to Him and in that, I am glorifying Him through my athletic career. I want to work to my fullest potential because I can run, so I want to do it to the best of my ability," Corso said.
Liza hopes to be a beacon of light for young children with visual impairments as well. She was awestruck at how many people have verbalized their gratitude for her setting an example. "With the Paralympics and my visual impairment, it's been super cool seeing other young kids with a visual impairment or disability saying, 'Watching you compete at the collegiate level gives me inspiration and makes me realize I can be an athlete too.' It makes me realize I really am able to use my abilities to inspire others. Even parents of young kids with visual impairments have told me I've given them hope. That's just crazy to me," Corso gleamed.
Her injury aside, Corso's time at the Paris 2024 Paralympics was like nothing she had ever experienced before. "It definitely takes a while to sink in, especially with these games," Liza responded when asked about her accomplishment. "It was very different than Tokyo. In Tokyo, we had no spectators because of COVID. It was insane competing in a packed stadium with 80,000 spectators, the races were completely different in that sense. My family being able to be there was also super special."
Corso emphasized the importance of her family in her life. The support of her mother, father, and two brothers has meant everything to her. Despite that, Liza's family lives in Newmarket, New Hampshire, over 1,150 miles away from Nashville. It was because of the culture that Coach
Nick Polk and his staff have built at Lipscomb that Corso was able to make the jump to Nashville and find her second family.
"The team had a watch party, and they said there were over 60 people there. That is just insane to me, to have so many people supporting and cheering for me, said Corso. "Coming back, everyone has been so supportive. They're the ones who have seen me cross-training these past six weeks and everything that has happened behind the scenes. Having them say it was fun watching me and seeing them be excited makes me realize this medal is not just my own, it's a culmination of all the people who are supporting me. I couldn't have done this without them, this medal really is all of ours, it's not just mine."
Lipscomb has played a major part in Corso's success, and she could not be more appreciative of the community around here. She was left speechless when asked what she would say to the Bisons fans who have been supporting her. "I'd probably say thank you," Corso exclaimed before laughing. "It really takes a village. This medal really isn't just mine. It's because of everyone's support."
