Elizabeth Stone American Paralympic athlete Country: USA

Biography of Elizabeth Stone

Elizabeth Stone, an American Paralympic swimmer, was born in Georgia under the name Keti (Ketevan). Her biological parents abandoned her due to her physical disability - one of her legs was significantly shorter and underdeveloped. Linda Stone, an American physiotherapist, became her adoptive mother. It was Linda who nurtured Elizabeth's athletic talents and later facilitated her reunion with her biological family. Elizabeth Stone was born in 1990 in Georgia to Liana Khurtsidze. As a child, she was not in good health, with her right leg being twice as short as her left. After much deliberation, her mother Liana placed her in an orphanage in Kutaisi. Liana and her husband doubted their ability to provide the necessary care for their disabled child during these difficult times for rural villagers. Nonetheless, Keti grew up in the orphanage and, at the age of 4, was adopted by Linda Stone, a physiotherapist from Michigan. Linda provided Keti with the love, warmth, and care she had been missing since childhood. Recognizing the challenges Elizabeth would face in life, Linda was determined to help her find her identity. She began encouraging her athletic achievements, and it turned out that Elizabeth was a very strong swimmer. Year after year of training led Elizabeth Stone to eventually join the US Paralympic swimming team. In 2008, she won a silver medal in Beijing, and in 2012, she earned two bronze medals in London. As Elizabeth became well-known, she attracted the attention of journalists, including those from Radio Free Europe. In one interview, Elizabeth expressed her strong desire to meet her biological family. The search led her to the small Georgian village of Dikhashkho, where her birth mother, Liana Khurtsidze, still resides. The meeting was extraordinary, as it turned out that Elizabeth had biological siblings living in the same village. Upon hearing the name of her abandoned daughter, Liana trembled and began to cry, later admitting that shame and fear had plagued her family throughout the years. Despite this, Elizabeth harbors no resentment towards her biological mother and considers Linda her true mother. Nonetheless, it was important for her to visit the place of her birth and meet her biological mother and family. Communication was facilitated through an interpreter, as Elizabeth had long forgotten the Georgian language, and her relatives from the distant village did not speak English. However, this did not hinder their connection. Liana is sincerely grateful to Linda for rectifying her mistake and raising Elizabeth with love and care. As for Linda, she saved up money for this trip because she wanted her daughter to know about her roots and visit her historical homeland. After parting ways and exchanging photographs, the newly found relatives agreed to meet again in the future, and Elizabeth's siblings decided to urgently learn the Georgian and English languages. Today, Elizabeth Stone has participated in four Paralympic Games and has won numerous medals. She takes great pride in representing the United States but never forgets her first homeland, Georgia.