Shortly after winning the 400m T62 final at the 2024 Paralympic Games, Hunter Woodhall holds up the American flag. Photo Courtesy of Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
Ok, be honest: aside from the memes on the Paralympic TikTok page, how much have you actually watched of the Paralympics? It can be easy to underestimate the games, but they’re worth the attention. This year, around 4,400 athletes competed in Paris, France from August 28th to September 8th. The range of events was widespread, to say the least, from para table tennis to sitting volleyball. So, how did Team USA do in comparison to the other countries?
It’s safe to say Team USA brought home the hardware, coming in third overall with a total of 105 medals across 16 of the 22 total events. If I sat here and talked about each individual medalist, we’d be here for a while, so I’m going to limit myself to some of the most noteworthy performances of the games.
Team USA shined on the track and in the pool, winning a total of 38 medals in Para track and field and 30 in swimming. Even if you aren’t familiarized with the array of USA athletes competing at the Paralympics, there’s a good chance you’ll recognize this name: Hunter Woodhall. That’s because just weeks before his own debut at the Paralympics, he was in the Parisian stands supporting his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, as she claimed the gold in long jump at the Olympics. Just weeks after their celebration in the stands went viral, he secured a matching gold in the 400m at the Paralympics, followed by another heartfelt moment between the power couple. Another noteworthy track and field performance is Ezra Fech’s double gold in men’s high jump T63 and men’s 100m T63. These events may have marked his first moment on top of the podium, but it certainly won’t be his last.
Shifting our focus to swim, there’s one notable para-athlete that deserves our utmost attention. Jessica Long earned gold in both the women’s 100m butterfly S8 as well as the 400m freestyle S8. As impressive as this double is, this is far from her first time. In fact, when looking at her previous achievements in the Paralympics, she has racked up a total of 31 medals spanning across four different games, with 18 of those being gold. In wheelchair rugby, there’s one standout worth mentioning: his name’s Chuck Aoki, and with three silvers and one bronze to his name, he has become the most decorated wheelchair rugby player in United States history. London 2012 marked his debut, where he won his first medal, bronze. He continued on to win silver alongside his team in the next three olympics, bringing us to present-day, post-Paris 2024. This next one deserves all the respect one can get. Matt Stutzman, a paralympic archer, won gold in Paris in paralympic archery. Why was this particular win so significant? He did this without arms, becoming the first in paralympic history to be on top of the podium for archery without any arms.
As exciting as the events can be, there’s so much more to the Paralympic games. They inspire those who may be disabled but still have dreams of being athletes. It shows them that it is possible, not only to be an athlete, but to exceed at it, rising above everyone’s expectations. The paralympics help people view disabilities in a different light; not as a hindrance, but rather an alternative way of doing the same things non-disabled athletes can do. The paralympics inspire, unite, and provide a sense of community unlike any other event. Even if you’re not big on sports, I’d suggest giving the next Paralympics a look, which will be held right in Los Angeles in 2028. To be clear, I don’t mean thirty second clips on Tiktok, but actually watching the small moments, the preparations, and the victories all play out on camera. Who knows, it might move you in a way you hadn’t anticipated.
Freshman Emily Jones is a Contributing Writer. Her email is ejones5@fandm.edu.