Dana Zimmerman’s path to winning a silver medal in the 1,500-meter race at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics didn’t start with running — it started with swimming. When Zimmerman was ten years old, he tried swimming as his sport of choice. However, it wasn’t until he started participating in track and field events that he discovered his true talent.
“I quickly learned that I was probably stronger on the track than I was in the pool,” Zimmerman said.
Now serving as the Academic Advisor for Student Support Services for Students with Disabilities at St. Olaf, Zimmerman’s path has been shaped by his determination and radical sense of positivity, both on and off the track.
Zimmerman was born with hemispherical cerebral palsy. Growing up, he faced challenges other athletes never encountered. He had the talent and the drive to compete, but he still was missing one essential component: a good coach.
After making some calls, his father was eventually put in touch with a certain Art Payne, a coach at Central High School in St. Paul.
“He got back to us and he said, ‘I don’t know anything about cerebral palsy. I don’t know anything about disabilities, but I do know something about coaching and running,’” Zimmerman said.
From there, Payne and Zimmerman scripted a training plan. While in middle school, Zimmerman had the opportunity to go to Nationals. When it came time for him to enter high school, Payne transferred his knowledge over to Lisa Koelfgen-Faust, track and cross country coach at Harding Senior High School.
His first introduction to her began when he stepped in as an alternate for a 4×800-meter relay. Koelfgen-Faust had never coached an athlete with a disability before but was reassured by Zimmerman’s fellow athletes of his drive. After seeing Zimmerman’s determination for herself, Koelfgen-Faust worked with him the summer before the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta to ensure he qualified.
“No matter how hard I worked him, he always came back with a great attitude and positivity that said, ‘You know what? I can do this,’” Koelfgen-Faust said.
When Zimmerman did qualify for the 1996 games, Koelfgen-Faust attended along with his family.
After his success in Atlanta, Zimmerman wanted to continue his athletic career into college. When touring colleges, he wanted to ensure that he would have access to a good track program. University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Track Coach Tom Antczak stuck out to him. However, once again, he was confronted with a coach who had never worked with athletes with disabilities.
Just like with his previous coaches, Zimmerman worked with Antczak to create a routine that worked with his needs as a disabled individual.
With training, Zimmerman eventually qualified for the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, where he would go on to compete in the 5,000-meter race and win a silver medal in the 1,500-meter.
Bill Schneider, a fellow Paralympian, teammate, and friend, participated alongside Zimmerman in 2000. Schneider was also born with cerebral palsy.
At the games, Schneider recalls how Zimmerman seemed to know three-quarters of the team.
“People really looked to him as an example of how to train and how to conduct themselves [with] the other teams in the other countries,” Schneider said.
For a young Zimmerman, the Paralympic Village was an exciting experience. It provided a rare opportunity to connect with other athletes who understood his journey — sharing stories about navigating the educational system and exchanging awkward conversations they’d had with people who didn’t understand their disabilities.
“Being in a disability community… It’s liberating. It’s freeing,” Zimmerman said. “We’ve all battled through. We’ve all heard some really strange, awkward, maybe offensive things. And we’re here to do our best and the disability is kind of a side note.”
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in physical education teaching and coaching, Zimmerman began his career as a teacher in the Developmental Adapted Physical Education (DAPE) field. In 2010, he pursued a master’s degree in adapted physical education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. While studying there, he taught an ad-hoc course at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he eventually worked his way to creating and tailoring the school’s minor program for adaptive physical education.
“I thought, oh, yeah, here’s a kid that was in special education learning the ABCs at one point and not being in the general, mainstream [education] and then in special ed for many years in middle school, and now I’m teaching at the university level… How did this happen?” Zimmerman said.
Now, having started at St. Olaf in June 2024, Zimmerman has had to adjust to his new role. One difference he cites is his activity level. As a DAPE teacher, his day used to be 75% to 80% movement and 20% paperwork. Now, those percentages are flipped.
Still, Zimmerman seeks to include movement in his work as much as possible.
When a student who is overly involved in campus activities approaches him, he asks: “How are they taking those extra moments to take care of their bodies?”
Paule Sannes, Director of TRIO Student Support Services for Students with Disabilities, appreciates the environment Zimmerman has created since he started — from the 10 adaptive movement stations placed around the Disability and Access Center to his constant positivity.
“[Zimmerman] brightens up a room. I think everyone can say that here on staff,” said Sannes. “He brings positivity and happiness to our office.”
As Zimmerman continues in his role at St. Olaf, he hopes to build strong connections with students while staying true to his passion for movement.
“I’m hoping to continue to push my physical agenda, although not too high,” Zimmerman said, noting his new clientele.
