With A Teammate Always Pushing Him, Evan Wilkerson Broke Through At Trials

Para swimming can sometimes be a lonely affair.

At the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials this past June in Minneapolis, some races featured just a single athlete from a given classification, meaning those swimmers were essentially racing against the clock.

Thankfully for Evan Wilkerson, that was never the case. While his men’s S12 races — for visually impaired swimmers — didn’t fill all eight lanes, Wilkerson always had one swimmer to compete against.

William Rankine, who Wilkerson said is “one of my close teammates and my all-time rival,” swam alongside Wilkerson in six different races during trials.

The 17-year-old Wilkerson competed in the 100-meter backstroke, freestyle and butterfly. In the prelims for all three races, and the three subsequent finals, Wilkerson and Rankine battled against each other.

Some races saw Wilkerson comfortably beat Rankine. Most of them were tight, though, with the freestyle final being the best example — Rankine beat Wilkerson by .03 seconds. 

“Just having him next to me, he gave me something to pace off of something to be and he pushed me really, really hard,” Wilkerson said. “I’m really, really grateful for him”

Coming into trials, some swimmers knew they had a strong chance to make the Paralympic team.

Wilkerson was not one of those swimmers, though. He felt like he needed to deliver in Minneapolis to punch his ticket to Paris. After winning two of his three events, he found out on the morning of June 30 that he would be making his Paralympic debut later this summer.

“I think I’m still numb,” Wilkerson said at a special event space within U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, which hosted the team naming ceremony. “Honestly, this has been my goal for so long like to finally have it happen … it was a little unexpected.

“I knew I was close. I knew I was kind of on the edge of going or not. And to make that happen, it’s just, wow.”

The Wake Forest, North Carolina, native continued with how grateful he was for all the support he’s received during his swimming career, which he said with his parents present with him at the naming ceremony.

“All that hard work is just paying off in a really big way,” he said. “I’m just really grateful for everybody who’s helped me out along the way — my coaches, my teammates, my family and everybody like that.”

Wilkerson, who has been blind since birth, began swimming when he was 5.

His recent performance at trials served as a full-circle moment. Wilkerson first heard about Para swimming when he attended the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Along his journey to qualifying for his first Paralympic Games, Wilkerson competed in the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, last November. Traveling to a different country for a swim meet was a new experience for the teenager and something he thinks will help him once he leaves for Paris.

“Right when you get out (of the team bus) you’re in front of the media, you’re getting interviewed, and I’m really grateful that I was able to have that kind of experience before jumping right into Paris,” he said. “I think if I had gone directly to a Games, it would have been a huge shock and I don’t think I would have performed well.”

Wilkerson didn’t seem fazed by the extra travel and media attention when he competed in Santiago. He returned home with a silver in the 100 backstroke and a bronze in the 100 breaststroke — with Rankine taking silver in the latter.

With Paris on the horizon, Wilkerson will get the chance to compete at the highest level his sport has to offer while getting the experience of hanging out in the Paralympic Village. He said he’s eager to meet athletes from other countries — specifically other visually impaired swimmers.

When it comes to exploring one of the world’s most famous cities, he had a clear answer for what he’s looking forward to the most.

“I’m really excited to try the food,” he said. “From what I hear it’s really good.”

Luke Hanlon is a sportswriter and editor based in Minneapolis. He is a freelance contributor to USParaSwimming.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.