Current:Home > FinanceWho Is Paralympian Sarah Adam? Everything to Know About the Rugby Player Making History -FinanceMind
Who Is Paralympian Sarah Adam? Everything to Know About the Rugby Player Making History
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:59:29
Sarah Adam is making history in Paris, one murderball match at a time.
The Team USA athlete became the first American woman to ever score a goal in wheelchair rugby at the 2024 Paralympics Aug. 29. Not to mention, she is also the first woman to play on the U.S. team.
During the team’s winning match against Canada, Sarah—who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS)—brought the heat flying up and down the court, earning six points. In the end, USA’s reach for gold started strong, ending the game 51-48.
"We came out hot, really playing well and gelling well,” she told NBC Sports after the match. "It's always been important to me that I'm going to be a contributor to this team and be seen as any other athlete. I think I was able to prove that today.”
And although she made history during her Paralympics debut, the sport—also dubbed “murderball”—has been a co-ed sport since it joined the Games in 2000.
"It's just a really exciting time right now for women in sports, getting the attention I think we've always deserved,” she continued. “And, for other females to see that, if this is where you want to play, go do it. Step outside that comfort zone and do it anyway.”
Who is Sarah Adam?
Along with playing on Team USA’s wheelchair rugby team, the 33-year-old is an assistant professor of science and occupational therapy at St. Louis University in Missouri.
Sarah was diagnosed with MS in 2016 while a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis. For five years, she worked as an occupational therapist, but the job ultimately became too physically demanding, especially when she began using a wheelchair. She went on to earn a clinical doctorate so she could teach in the future.
“I gave myself a couple of months of digesting the diagnosis and what that meant for my future,” Sarah told The Naperville Sun in October. “But who better than an occupational therapist to help manage a disease like multiple sclerosis?”
How did Sarah Adam Get Introduced to Wheelchair Rugby?
Sarah’s first introduction to the sport was as a non-disabled volunteer at a local para-sport event in 2013. At the time, she was an occupational therapist assisting children with disabilities, per NBC Philadelphia. Her mentor Dr. Kerri Morgan—a professor at Washington University and a competitive rugby player—needed volunteers. So, Sarah began using a wheelchair to compete during practice sessions.
And it was the same place that she eventually found herself getting ready to head onto the court years later.
“I was diagnosed with MS when I was 25 years old,” she told NBC News. “I’m thinking, ‘What’s my future be like? What am I going to do?’ And wheelchair rugby gave me that community of support to say, ‘You’re going to be OK. Look at what your life can be.’”
After two years of playing recreationally, Sarah began competing seriously in 2019. In 2022, she was the silver medalist at the Wheelchair Rugby World Championship. She was named one of 2023’s top breakout performances by Team USA and the same year, she became the first woman ever to win gold in the sport at the Parapan American Games.
How St. Louis University Cheered Sarah Adam on Amid her Paralympics Journey.
For Sarah, she found a community in the sport and in the university she teaches at.
“I’ve been surrounded by people in the disability community through adaptive sports and through wheelchair rugby and other people who are living in chairs and doing it successfully and not letting it slow them down,” she told The Naperville Sun. “They have jobs and they have families and kids and do everything, but they do it a little bit differently. Seeing that helped me because they were doing just fine and that helped me wrap my mind around it.”
As she made history at the Paralympics, her university couldn’t help but cheer her on. SLU wrote on X, “Cheering on our very own SLU professor Sarah Adam as she makes history as the first woman to compete on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team at the Paralympic Games! We are so proud of you, Sarah!”
How St. Louis University Cheered Sarah Adam on Amid her Paralympics Journey.
For Sarah, she found a community in the sport and in the university she teaches at.
“I’ve been surrounded by people in the disability community through adaptive sports and through wheelchair rugby and other people who are living in chairs and doing it successfully and not letting it slow them down,” she told The Naperville Sun. “They have jobs and they have families and kids and do everything, but they do it a little bit differently. Seeing that helped me because they were doing just fine and that helped me wrap my mind around it.”
As she made history at the Paralympics, her university couldn’t help but cheer her on. SLU wrote on X, “Cheering on our very own SLU professor Sarah Adam as she makes history as the first woman to compete on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team at the Paralympic Games! We are so proud of you, Sarah!”
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (5355)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Jazz saxophonist and composer Benny Golson dies at 95
- Trump will attend Al Smith charity dinner that Harris is skipping to campaign in battleground state
- Colorado men tortured their housemate for 14 hours, police say
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- 'Still suffering': Residents in Florida's new hurricane alley brace for Helene impact
- St. Johnsbury police officer pleads not guilty to aggravated assault
- Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez Tell Their Side of the Story in Netflix Documentary Trailer
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Hundreds sue over alleged sexual abuse in Illinois youth detention centers
Ranking
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Brie Garcia Shares Update on Sister Nikki Garcia Amid Artem Chigvintsev Divorce
- 'Very precious:' Baby boy killed by Texas death row inmate Travis James Mullis was loved
- Man convicted of sending his son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock gets 31 years to life
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Keith Urban Shares Update on Nicole Kidman After Her Mom’s Death
- California bans all plastic shopping bags at store checkouts: When will it go into effect?
- Alsobrooks presses the case for national abortion rights in critical Maryland Senate race
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Patrick Mahomes Defends Travis Kelce Amid Criticism of Tight End's NFL Performance
Llewellyn Langston – Co-Founder of Angel Dreamer Wealth Society
Finding a Fix for Playgrounds That Are Too Hot to Touch
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
You'll Be Sliving for Paris Hilton's Adorable New Video of Son Phoenix
Florida police investigate whether an officer used excessive force in shoving a protester
Review: Zachary Quinto medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' is just mind-numbing