Navy lieutenant swims to gold at London Paralympics

Only months after being blinded in Afghanistan, U.S. swimmer Bradley Snyder has won a gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle at the 2012 Paralympics. He also set a new Paralympic record during a qualifying heat earlier Friday.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 2006, Synder was lost his sight working with a bomb disposal squad last year.

His qualifying time of 57:18 would have put Snyder in first place in one of the early men's 100m freestyle heats at the London Olympics.

He may not get the recognition of Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte, but this US athlete makes me just as proud.

Snyder has a full schedule in London, where he'll swim the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, and the 200m individual medley.