TOPEKA -- Great Bend's Austin Levingston, representing the Great Bend Storm, captured a Kansas Special Olympics 50-meter freestyle championship recently.

His time of 29 seconds was good for first place.

"I was surprised I won. I haven't won any other medal as big as that event," he said. "I didn't really celebrate. But I put it on Facebook that I won and showed everyone."

Levingston, 30, is eligible to compete in Special Olympics after being diagnosed with autism at birth. Levingston qualified for state as an alternate at Great Bend High School. He competed for the Barton Community College swimming team in 2017-2018 where he swam in the national meet in Florida.

Levingston trains for swimming several times at Club One for one to two hours each time.

"Winning a Special Olympics gold me

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