Eden Prairie Special Olympian finds joy, success in swimming

There’s a good chance that Brandon Leu is swimming while you’re reading this. 

Leu, an Eden Prairie resident and Special Olympian, swims every day, either at Life Time Fitness in Eden Prairie or the V3 Center in Minneapolis. His dedication paid off in June at the Special Olympics Minnesota state swim meet, where he won gold in the 50-meter butterfly and bronze in the 100-meter individual medley, which features the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle in succession.

“It was good for me,” Leu said of the state meet.

Leu, who has autism, competes for Mr. Blake’s Wavemakers, a team coached by Blake Beatnik le Saint, who also runs Mr. Blake’s Swim Academy, an adaptive swim school. 

While working with personal trainer Ben Foss at Life Time Fitness, Leu wanted to join a swim team and reached out to the Special Olympics. The email found its way to Beatnik le Saint.

‘Swimming is like a hug‘

In the email, Leu wrote about working hard over the past year on his swimming. He also shared that his mother and father died when he was 11 and 5, respectively. They loved the water, he said, and the love of swimming he found is something of which they would be proud.

“(Swimming) is more than a pastime or a sport for him,” Beatnik le Saint said of Leu. “It’s therapy. It’s part of his personality.”

Leu’s aunt and guardian, Elizabeth Voss, taught him to swim when he was 12. Over time, Voss saw changes in her nephew, as he became more comfortable in the water and more trusting of others after his parents’ deaths.

According to the National Institutes of Health, swimming releases oxytocin, commonly called the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone” for its ability to help people build trust with and bond with others.

Voss saw how it helped Leu.

“Water made all the difference,” she said. “Swimming is like a hug.”

Beyond swimming

Foss has been training Leu for a couple of years. Their work includes swimming, but also weightlifting and other sports like basketball. Leu was Foss’ first client.

“We just got magically paired together and never looked back,” Foss said.

In addition to his athletic pursuits, Leu is also a musician who plays cello, piano and guitar. 

Foss, who has served as an aide for Leu during a guitar class he took at a local college and has seen him perform, is impressed by his talent.

“It’s cool to hear him play music,” Foss said.

When asked who some of his favorite composers are, Leu named Mozart and Beethoven.

“Guitar is my favorite (instrument to play),” he added, though sometimes his favorite changes.

A complete season 

Now 30 and having completed his first season on a Special Olympics-affiliated swim team, Leu will keep working on his skills in the pool with Beatnik le Saint, Foss and his friends on the Wavemakers.

According to Voss, Leu often says “It’s all about the practice.”

Sometimes, that practice can turn into a medal or two.