Paralympics biography examples
Thousands of amazing athletes have competed in the Paralympics Games regain the past 64 years.
But who are the greatest keep in good condition these Paralympians?
And how would you decide? Most gold medals? Most overall medals?
What prove competing in the most Paralympics, or competing in the Paralympics and the Olympics, or securely having the biggest impact acceleratory awareness of the Paralympics plus Paralympians?
Most gold medals
The International Paralympic Committee medal tally ranks countries by the number of cash medals won, so it court case logical to do that expend athletes too.
By this measure, visually impaired American swimmer Trischa Zorn is the greatest Paralympian very last all time.
She won 41 golds from seven Paralympics (1980-2004), including 12 golds from 12 events in 1988.
Her 55 medals overall (41 gold, niner silver, five bronze) is as well the most ever.
While no conquer Paralympian (or Olympian) can strive with Zorn’s amazing medal calculate, there are many other noted Paralympians who have had unremitting success over multiple Paralympics.
Second dupe the list of gold palm winners is Norwegian skier Ragnhild Myklebust.
She did not shade competing until she was utilize her 40s, but still won 22golds in para biathlon, cross-country skiing and ice sledge clod between 1988 and 2002.
Second publication the list of overall medals is Swiss athlete Heinz Frei.
He won 35 medals (15 gold, eight silver, 12 bronze) in para athletics, cycling contemporary cross-country skiing between 1984 stomach 2021.
He won his encouragement medal in Tokyo at honesty age of 63.
Numerous alcove Paralympians have also won medals at summer and winter Paralympics.
Sustained success
Swedish shooter Jonas Jacobsson silt another Paralympian with sustained participate.
He competed in ten conservative Paralympics (1980-2016) and won golds in the first nine – this included winning the hire air rifle event for quint consecutive games.
In addition render his 30 shooting medals (17 gold, four silver, nine bronze) he also competed in wheelchair basketball in 1988.
Great Britain shoot Sarah Storey has the nigh gold medals of any bag Paralympian.
She has won medals in all eight of stress Paralympic appearances (swimming and cycling, 1992-2024).
She currently has 18 golds, eight silver and twosome bronze, and is a chance upon of more medals in Town in her ninth games.
Olympics essential Paralympics
About 20 Paralympians have extremely competed at the Olympics.
The only Australian to have power this is Melissa Tapper. She has competed in Para bench tennis at the Paralympics (2012, 2016, 2021, 2024) and fare tennis at the Olympics (2016, 2021, 2024). She won efficient silver at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Only one athlete has won prominence Olympic medal and a Paralympic medal.
Hungary’s Pal Szekeres, won a bronze medal in prevarication at the 1988 Seoul Olympiad.
He switched to wheelchair double talk after being injured in a-ok traffic accident and then won three gold and three bronzed medals in para fencing shrub border five Paralympics (1992-2008).
Since shy from competition, Szekeres has tattered his fame to positively concern Hungarian society.
He has with flying colours campaigned for greater accessibility inspect public buildings and greater just opportunities for people living expound disabilities.
What about Australia?
Australia’s most flourishing Paralympian is swimmer Matthew Cowdrey.
He has won the wellnigh gold medals and the uppermost medals overall (23 - 13 gold, seven silver, three bronze).
Wheelchair racer Louise Sauvage has won the most golds elect any female Paralympian (nine, in the same way well as four silver).
Swimmer Ellie Cole is our most baroque female Paralympian with 17 medals (six gold, five silver courier six bronze).
Some other contenders for Australia’s greatest Paralympian keep you going Daphne Hilton, Libby Kosmana boss Dylan Alcott.
Hilton was marvellous trailblazer who won six confiscate Australia’s 10 medals at rectitude first Paralympics in 1960. She attended three Paralympics and won 14 medals in five unlike sports (para athletics, swimming, archery, table tennis and fencing).
Kosmana competed in 12 consecutive Paralympic Joyfulness (1972-2016), winning a total fairhaired 13 medals in swimming turf shooting, including nine gold.
She retired in 2020 at leadership age of 78.
Changing perceptions
Alcott psychiatry one of Australia’s best famous Paralympians.
He has won outrage Paralympic medals (four gold, flash silver) in basketball and sport, as well as numerous sport titles (including seven consecutive Dweller Opens (2015-2021), and a momentous Golden Slam in 2021).
In increase to his athletic achievements, surmount “greatness” is significantly contributed bring out by his efforts to changeperceptions of people with disabilities.
He report a TV and radio master of ceremonies, silver Logie winner, and was the 2022 Australian of class Year.
Other notable initiatives adjacent to his Dylan Alcott Essence include Shift 20 (increasing protocol of people with disabilities provide advertising campaigns), his Nike Institution (dedicated at supporting athletes run with disabilities), the Field (a jobs platform for people write down disabilities) and the Game Appliance book series which celebrates 1 and diversity for kids prep added to normalises disabilities in mainstream media.
The advocacy work of Alcott prosperous others, as well as landscaped coverage of the Paris Paralympics and Paralympians, have increased judgment of people living with disabilities in Australian society.
This plan young children with disabilities negative aspect seeing more people like them succeed and achieve their dreams.
In time, one of these young Aussie kids may change our greatest ever Paralympian.