Dagoberto Saenz, 16, is one of the newest members of the Vipers of Albuquerque swim team.But there's never been a swimmer quite like him on the squad."He's the first disabled athlete that we've had," head coach Gordy Westerberg said.On Christmas Day 2003, in Colombia, Saenz was playing outside when a bullet hit his spine."A couple blocks away from my house, some drunk person shot a few bullets into the sky and one of them happened to land on me," Saenz said.He can't feel anything below his belly button and can't use his legs.But instead of feeling sorry for himself, he turned to sports and his passion for swimming. However, with his disability, it took some time to figure out."How to dive, how to get out, it took me a couple of years to be able to do that," Saenz said.Continuing to challenge himself, Saenz participated in the Endeavor games, one of the biggest multi-sport, multi-disability events in the country. It was his first competition and he medaled in all five of his races  -- including three gold medals.Now he's turned it up a notch, swimming side-by-side against kids without disabilities.Saenzs’ goal is to make it to the Paralympics.He is also paving the way for other children with disabilities that have similar dreams."There are many states that are way ahead of us in terms of opportunities for disabled athletes," Westerberg said. "If we can get him to national and international competitions and be successful there, it is going to open those doors to opportunities.Saenz credits his mother with helping him get to where he is today."I learned with the help of my mom to never give up,” he said. “To never look different to other people, just because I'm in a wheelchair doesn't mean I'm not a person."Saenz wants to be a software engineer when he grows up.He didn't speak English until he was 10 years old when he moved with his family from Colombia to the United States.