Ohioans to watch at the Paralympics
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Cleveland's own Paralympic sprinter, Brittni Mason. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
After making an impact during the 2024 Olympics, another crew of world-class Ohio athletes is preparing to go for gold in Paris.
Why it matters: The U.S. Paralympic Team was announced last week and includes six Buckeyes, many of whom have already distinguished themselves in their Paralympic careers.
🏃🏿♀️ Zoom in: Cleveland sprinter Brittni Mason won three medals in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo and will seek additional hardware in France.
- Born with Erb's palsy, which caused nerve damage to her left shoulder and arm, Mason set the district record for the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash while attending West Geauga High School.
🛶 Columbus native Blake Haxton earned a silver medal in a canoe sprint event at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
- The 33-year-old contracted necrotizing fasciitis while in high school, leading to the amputation of both of his legs.
- He also competed in the 2016 Rio Games and earned a law degree from Ohio State that same year.
Fun fact: 2024 is the first time the Paralympic Games will offer live coverage of all 22 sports.
- The opening ceremony is tomorrow at 2pm, and they'll be broadcast through Sept. 8.
Let's meet the rest of our Ohio Paralympians:
🤺 Byron Branch, 40, fencing, (Bellbrook)
- Branch is a former police officer with the Dayton Police Department. He had his leg amputated in 2016 after a car accident while on duty.
- He fenced in high school and took up wheelchair fencing in 2018.
🚴🏼♀️ Kelly Elmlinger, 45, triathlon, (Attica)
- Elmlinger served three consecutive deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as an army medic in the 82nd Airborne Division.
- She lost her leg after being diagnosed with a soft tissue cancer in 2013.
- She won the 2018 USA Paratriathlon National Championships in just her second triathlon since becoming an amputee.
👩🏼🦽 Jenna Fesemyer, 27, track and field, (Ravenna)
- Fesemyer was born without a left leg or hip socket due to a congenital disease, and played basketball and golf in high school with a prosthetic.
- In 2013, as a student at Southeast High School, she competed in the first-ever OHSAA seated division state championships and won every event in the girls' competition.
🏃🏼♀️ Grace Norman, 26, triathlon, (Jamestown)
- Norman was born with congenital constriction band syndrome, which led to the amputation of her left leg and right big toe as a child.
- Norman won a gold medal in the first-ever Paralympic paratriathlon event during the 2016 Rio Games, along with a bronze medal in the 400-meter run.