Illinois at the Summer Paralympic Games

The 2024 Paralympic Games will commence on August 28. Twenty-Four athletes and three coaches affiliated with the University of Illinois Adapted Athletics will represent their teams in Paris, carrying on the program’s legacy of participation – a history that dates back to the first Paralympic games in 1960. All listed events will air live nationally in the United States on Peacock, the NBCUniversal streaming platform. Explore the full roster.

Americas Paralympic Committee

Patrick Anderson

Team: Canada

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 4th Place

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Jade Atkin

incoming MPH student

Team: Great Britain

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 5th Place

Joe Kusumoto

Brian Bell

LAS Communication

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: Gold Medal


Team USA

Adam Bleakney

’99 B.A. in English, ’02 MS in Journalism

Team: USA

Sport: Head Para-Track Coach



IWBF/X-1

Kady Dandeneau

Current M.S. student in Kinesiology

Team: Canada

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 4th Place


Joe Kusumoto/USOPC

Hannah Dederick

Current RST student

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T54

Result: 4th (400m T54 – Women),
6th (100m T54 – Women), 7th (800m T54 – Women)


Texas Medical Center

Kaitlyn Eaton

’17 Community Health, ’21 MSW

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: Silver Medal


USA Paralympic Track & Field

Jenna Fesemyer

current PHD student in RST; ’19 Kines,
’22 MS EdPOL

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T54

Result: 9th (5000m T54 – Women),
13th (Marathon T54 – Women), 15th (1500m T54 – Women)


Mark Reis

Lauren Fields

Incoming Freshman, Anthropology

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T34

Result: 8th (800m T34 – Women),
10th (100m T34 – Women)


uliphoto.de

Helen Freeman

’14 BS Kinesiology

Team: Great Britain

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 5th Place


Casey Gibson

Travis Gaertner

’03 BSLAS Actuarial Sciences

Team: USA

Sport: Para-Cycling H4

Result: bronze (Team Relay – Mixed),
4th (H4 – Road Race – Men), 5th (H4 – Time Trial – Men)


Canadian Paralympic Committee

Nik Goncin

’15 BS Kinesiology

Team: Canada

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 4th Place


Getty Images

Eva Houston

’23 NRES

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T34

Next Event: Bronze (800m T34 – women)


Getty Images

Ali Ibanez

’24 BFA Graphic Design

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: Silver Medal


Wheelchair Basketball Canada

Bethany Johnson

Current RST student

Team: Canada

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 4th Place


CBG Photo

Oksana Masters


Team: USA

Sport: Para-cycling, H5

Result: gold (H4-5 – Time Trial – Women,
H5 – Road Race – Women)


Tasso Marcelo/AFP/Getty

Tatyana McFadden

’13 BS HDFS, ’19 EDM Curr & Instr

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T54

Result: (400m T54 – Women), silver (100m T54 – Women),
bronze (Universal Relay – Open),
4th (800m T54 – Women), 7th (Marathon T54 – Women)

Paralympics

Edina Müller

’08 BS Kinesiology

Team: Germany

Sport: Canoeing KL1

Result: Bronze (Women’s Kayak Single
200m KL1)


Joe Kusumoto

Emily Oberst

’20 BS Recreation, Sport, and Tourism

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: Silver Medal

Tobias Lackner / Tobil Photography

Aaron Pike

’11 BA Sociology

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T54

Result: 7th (Marathon T54 – Men),
12th (1500m T54 – Men), 13th (5000m T54 – Men)


Getty Images

Daniel Romanchuk



Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T54

Result: gold (5000m T54 – Men),
bronze (400m T54 – Men), 4th (Marathon T54 – Men),
5th (800m T54 – Men), 9th (1500m T54 – Men)


Getty Images

Susannah Scaroni

’14 BS FSHN, ’22 MS Nutritional Sciences

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track

Results: Silver (5000m T54 – Women), Bronze
(1500m T54 – Women, 800m
T54 – Women, Marathon T54 – Women)


Team USA

Christina Schwab

’05 Community Health

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball, Head Coach

Result: Silver Medal


USOPC

Brian Siemann


Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Track, T53

Result: bronze (400m T53 – Men, 800m T53 – Men),
4th (100m T53 – Men), 9th (5000m T54 – Men),
11th (Marathon T54 – Men)

Mark Reis

Steve Serio

’10 Kinesiology

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: Gold Medal


Team USA

Robb Taylor

’06 Leisure Studies/Sports Management

Team: USA

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball, Head Coach

Result: Gold Medal


Wheelchair Basketball Canada

Jonathan Vermette


Team: Canada

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Result: 4th Place finish