Five Inspiring American Athletes with Disabilities
July marks the anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This monumentally important act has given millions of Americans protection against discrimination on many different fronts.
The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with a disability from discrimination in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to local governments’ services and programs.
This act manifests in the way restaurants are laid out to be more accessible to wheelchair users, the way employers evaluate all their candidates fairly, disabled or not, and many more. The act has a long history, and disabled Americans and their friends and families fought for decades to secure basic rights. The history of the act begins with local groups coming together in cities and towns across the United States, advocating for greater communal respect and accommodation for Americans with disabilities. It is from their struggle that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and implemented.
The Americans with Disabilities Act is essential for so many Americans, and in the spirit of its passing, we are recognizing and celebrating five inspiring American athletes with disabilities.
Photo: Alchetron
Erin Popovich
This American swimmer won 19 medals over 3 Paralymic games. She was born on June 29, 1985 with achondroplasia, a disorder that restricted the growth of her limbs. She was added to the Class of 2019 of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. She has competed in Sydney, Athens, and Beijing.
Photo: 30A
Bethany Hamilton
An American surfer, Bethany Hamilton was an up-and-coming pro-surfer from Hawaii when her arm was bitten off by a shark when she was just thirteen. One month after the attack, Bethany Hamilton returned to surfing. She has continuously placed in the top five in almost every surfing competition since the attack. If you are interested in hearing more about her story, a Hollywood film called “Soul Surfer” documents her life before and after the attack.
Photo: Elite Sports NY
James Anthony Abbott
James Abbott is a professional American baseball pitcher who played for California, New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee. He was born without a right hand, and was named the best amateur baseball player in the nation in 1987. He won gold in the 1988 Summer Olympics. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball before retiring to become a motivational speaker.
Photo: Össur
Sarah Reinertsen
At the age of 11, Sarah Reinersten began running. At the age of 13, she attended her first international track meet and set records. She was born with a bone growth disorder, leading to her left leg to be amputated above the knee. She is most well known for being the first female leg amputee to compete in the Ironman World Competition in Hawaii, a brutal race that starts with a 3.8km swim, continues with a 180km bike ride, and culminates with a 42.4km run.
Photo: NCAA
Anthony Robles
Anthony Robles is a two-time Arizona State Wrestling champion. In 2011, he became the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) champion. Born without a right leg, Robles thought he would never be able to compete with the nation’s best college wrestlers, but he did, and he won. He wishes to become a motivational speaker and currently holds the world record for most pull ups completed in a minute. In 2012, he was awarded the 2011 Most Courageous Athlete by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.
Vocabulary list:
Monumentally (adv.) — to a large extent; great or large
Discrimination (n.) — treating someone differently or unfairly based on a characteristic
Fronts (n.) — areas or subjects
Accomodations (n.) — actions taken to make something easier for someone or something
Manifest (v.) — to appear or show up
Advocate (v.) — to speak out for or against something
Communal (adj.) — relating to the community
Implement (v.) — to put into place
Paralympic (n.) — international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities
Up-and-coming (adj.) — becoming popular or has the ability to become great
Amateur (adj.) — In baseball, it means the players are not being paid for playing
Amputate (v.) — to cut or remove a limb
Culminate (v.) — to come together or gather together
Pull-up (n.) — an exercise in which a person pulls themselves up on a bar
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amber Breese is a third-year student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida pursuing a double major in History and Political Science with a minor in Russian language. She is currently working on her post-graduation plans which include joining the Peace Corps to work with youth in Ukraine. In her free time, you can find her reading, exploring her city, or watching films. She aims to work in public diplomacy, travel far and wide, and eventually own her own sustainable farm.