The 24th Summer Deaflympics is taking place this month in Brazil, and one Hill Country Village teenager set a record in the world’s largest sporting event involving deaf athletes.

Churchill High School sophomore Carli Cronk, 16, won 12 gold medals—the most gold medals that anyone has won in a single Deaflympics, the USA Deaf Sports Federation said. This year's Summer Deaflympics, which began May 1 and ends May 15 in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, involves 2,358 athletes from 72 nations.

According to the federation, Cronk had won her 10th gold medal in this year’s Deaflympics by placing first in the women’s 200-meter backstroke May 8.

That win tied Cronk with Jeffrey Float and Laura Ann Barber with the most gold medals won by an American at any Deaflympics, the federation said.

But Cronk went on to claim two more gold-medal finishes May 9 in the women’s 400-meter freestyle and by participating in the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay.

Cronk, who was born deaf and relies on hearing aids and lip reading, told Community Impact Newspaper that she loves competitive swimming in events locally, nationwide and around the world. But she also said it feels “surreal” to be competing at her first Deaflympics.

“It has come so fast. It’s nice to be here and see some of the swimmers I raced in [the 2019 World Deaf Swimming Championships] and meet some new swimmers, too. It feels again surreal to be competing in a global meet,” Cronk said.

Cronk said her family got her into swimming, frequently enjoying the water with her siblings.

Cronk has excelled as a swimmer at Churchill. She won a bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter freestyle at the University Interscholastic League Class 6A state championships in February.

Cronk is also a member of the Alamo Area Aquatic Association’s national team and has swam in several competitions.

Cronk won one silver medal and two bronze medals at the 2019 World Deaf Swimming Championships. She previously was part of the Hollywood Park Hammerheads youth swim team.

Cronk said she has endured some challenges in competitive swimming, mainly with the starting system that consists of a light that comes on to tell swimmers to begin racing.

“It doesn’t always work for me or there is no light for me. When there is no light or the light is failing to work, I have someone hand start me with hand signals,” Cronk said.

Cronk said distance freestyles and individual medleys are her favorite competitive swimming events.

“I have been training them for a long time compared to sprints,” Cronk said.

Cronk was one of 13 swimmers to represent the United States at this year’s Deaflympics. She was joined on the team by fellow Texan swimmers Marissa Giuntoli of Austin’s Texas School for the Deaf and Madelyn McGann of Round Rock McNeil High School.

Cronk was accompanied by her parents, Mark and Jane Cronk, on the trip to the Deaflympics.

Team USA swim coach Alexander Taylor praised Cronk for her competitive spirit and for being a solid teammate.

“Carli has been fantastic. Competing in a competition like this is grueling, but Carli is a great teammate and is always quick to make a joke and help make others around her have fun. She’s a hardworking athlete, and her results really speak for itself,” Taylor said.

Taylor called the Deaflympics “a wonderful opportunity” for deaf athletes to experience high-end competition and make lifelong friends within their team and with other deaf athletes from around the world.

“It’s a very unique atmosphere here, but all the athletes and staff are so welcoming and sportsmanlike. It’s amazing how much these games benefit these athletes and provide such a great experience to compete in,” Taylor said.