Jessica Long's passion for swimming began at an early age.

"I sit down in a chair, and I take off my two heavy little prosthetic legs and I crawl

Jessica Long's passion for swimming began at an early age.

"I sit down in a chair, and I take off my two heavy little prosthetic legs and I crawl on my knees to the edge of the pool and I just jumped in," she recalled to Today's Jenna Bush Hager, "and I just instantly loved it."

What started as fun times in her grandparents' pool turned into a career as a 23-time Paralympic medalist.

"I just had...such determination to just prove to everyone that I could do it," she shared. "And I think that even stems from my adoption, just wanting to prove that I was worthy, that I was enough."

Originally from Siberia, Jessica was diagnosed as a baby with fibular hemimelia, a condition that for her meant the absence of numerous bones in her legs and feet. An American family, the Longs, adopted her from an orphanage when she was 13 months old. 

"We had seen a picture of Jessica ahead of time, so when they called, we just knew she was the one for us," her adoptive mother, Beth Long, said. "Like, it didn't matter what the disability was. We just knew she was meant for us."