Several athletes connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are among those competing in the 2024 Paralympics Games in Paris, France. One is making history as a five-time Paralympian, another is competing again after 12 years, and others are competing in their debut Games.
The 2024 Paralympic Games begin on Wednesday, Aug. 28, with more than 4,000 athletes competing in 22 sports and 549 medal events. The Paralympic Games have roots in the London Olympic Games in 1948 with the first competition for wheelchair athletes — 16 injured servicemen and servicewomen — in archery. The Stoke Mandeville Games became the Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, Italy, according to paralympic.org.
Athletes with ties to the Church are listed by approximate competition date as of Aug. 23, and the lineups for some of the specific events were not yet available. This will be updated when the schedule and events are released.
If you know of any other Latter-day Saints competing in the Paris Paralympic Games, please email their name, country and sport to churchnews@deseretnews.com.
Wheelchair rugby
USA’s wheelchair rugby team, including Josh Wheeler, won the silver medal in 2021 during the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The Paris Games will be his third Paralympics. The 44-year-old was part of Team USA in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that won silver. He’s been on the national team, winning silver in 2022 at the world championships and bronze in 2018 and 2014.
The Arizona resident broke his neck in a motorcycle accident in 2006 that caused him to lose function in his lower body. Wheeler’s classification is a 2.5, with 3.5 the highest mobility, and teams are allowed four players with a total of up to 8 on the court. An extra half-point is allowed for each female player on the court.
When to watch: Wheelchair rugby events start Thursday, Aug. 29, with the preliminary pool events. Team USA is in group A and plays Canada on Aug. 29, Japan on Aug. 30 and Germany on Aug. 31. The tournament games are on Sept. 1 and the medal matches on Sept. 2.
Para archery
The 2024 Paris Games will be the fifth consecutive Paralympic Games for archer Eric Bennett — he makes history as the most experienced archer for Team USA of all time, reported World Archery. The 50-year-old of Surprise, Arizona, was ninth overall in the Tokyo Games in the individual recurve competition and also shot in the team competition. He’s also competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, 2012 London Games and the 2008 Beijing Games.
He won multiple medals in 2015 and 2019 World Archery Para Championships, 2015 and 2023 Parapan American Games and 2016 and 2022 Parapan American Championships, reported World Archery.
The high school physics and engineering teacher and father of two lost his right arm above the elbow in a car accident when he was 15. He uses a mouth tab to pull back the string.
When to watch: The men’s individual recurve open ranking round is on Thursday, Aug. 29, and the elimination tournament, including the medal matches, are on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The mixed team recurve competitions are Thursday, Sept. 5.
Wheelchair basketball
Paul Schulte competed on Team USA’s wheelchair basketball teams in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia, the 2008 Games in Beijing, China, and in 2012 when the Games were in London, England. The team won bronze in Sydney and London. He also has multiple world championship medals from that time period. He retired in 2015 as he wanted to focus on his family; his career with Top End Sports, which makes recreational adaptive sports equipment; and Church service, reported NBC Sports.
And now, at 45 years old, he’s back on the team, which won gold in the Tokyo Games.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he took up handcycling, building muscle and losing weight. This year, he decided to try competitive wheelchair basketball again and was invited to try out for the national team.
Shulte had a spinal cord injury in a car accident at age 10 and gave wheelchair basketball a try when he was 14. He currently serves in the bishopric in his Florida ward, and he and his wife have one son.
Wheelchair basketball players are classified based on their available movement, from 1 to 4.5. The five players must not be more than 14 combined.
When to watch: Team USA is in Group B in the preliminary round, playing Great Britain on Thursday, Aug. 29, the Netherlands on Saturday, Aug. 31, and Australia on Sunday, Sept. 1. The quarterfinals are on Tuesday, Sept. 3, semifinals on Thursday, Sept. 5, and the medal matches on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Para swimming
Tupou Neiufu, 23, of New Zealand, won gold in the 100-meter backstroke S8 (for physical impairments) in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. She also swam in 50-meter freestyle. Paris will be her third Paralympic Games. She was initially an alternate for the New Zealand team headed to the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016. After a teammate’s injury, she joined the team and swam in three races.
When Neifu was 2 years old, she was involved in a hit-and-run accident that resulted in brain bruising and left-side paralysis. She had to relearn how to sit, walk and use her arms. She first tried netball and then swimming to help her after the accident. She began swimming at 10 years old and competing at 11.
When to watch: The 100-meter backstroke S8 heats and finals are on Saturday, Aug. 31. The 50-meter freestyle S8 heats and finals are on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Alejandra Aybar Diaz, a native of Azua, Dominican Republic, was 27 years old when she learned to swim after a knee injury. Now 35, she is competing in her second Paralympic Games. In Tokyo, she became the first swimmer representing her native Dominican Republic to compete in the Paralympics and was one of her country’s flag bearers at the opening ceremonies
Abyar, who is 4 foot 3 inches tall, has brittle bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as crystal bone disease. In Tokyo, she swam in the 50-meter freestyle S8, 100-meter breaststroke SB6 and 100-meter butterfly S8. (S8 and SB6 are divisions for those with physical impairments.)
When to watch: The women’s 200-meter medley SM7 race is on Saturday, Aug. 31. The 100-meter breaststroke SB6 heats and finals are on Sunday, Sept. 1. The 50-meter butterfly S7 heats and finals are on Saturday, Sept. 7. (These events and dates were updated on Aug. 26.)
Para athletics (track and field)
David Blair, 48, of Eagle Mountain, Utah, is headed to his third Paralympics representing Team USA. He won gold in the discus in 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the F44 classification for those with lower-limb impairments. In 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, he was fourth in the mixed category of F44 and F64. Both divisions include lower-limb deficiencies; F44 is where a prosthesis isn’t required and F64 is for when a prosthesis is required.
Blair became the Paralympic record holder in Rio and set the world record in 2021. Both still stand. He won gold at both the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris and the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan.
Blair, who was born with a club foot, was high school state champion in discus and received an athletics scholarship to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, setting records along the way. He picked up Paralympic competition after 16 years and then qualified to compete in Rio. Blair’s longtime coach, James Parker, unexpectedly died in 2023, and Blair hopes to honor him with his performance in Paris, reported U.S. Paralympics Track and Field.
When to watch: The men’s discus F64 final is on Thursday, Sept. 5.
The Paris Paralympic Games are the first Parlympics for 28-year-old Lindi Marcusen of Spokane, Washington. She broke the U.S. record in the 100-meter T63 during the 2024 U.S. Paralympic track and field team trials. T63 is for athletes without one leg above the knee.
Marcusen was in a car accident in 2017 that resulted in the amputation of her right leg. She competed in gymnastics from elementary to high school, according to her Team USA profile. Marcusen is also a BYU–Idaho alumna.
When to watch: The women’s 100-meter T63 preliminary heats and finals are on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Para canoe
The 2024 Paris Games are the first Paralympics for Peter Cowan, 29, of New Zealand. He won silver at the International Canoe Federation Para Canoe World Championships in Szeged, Hungary, finishing 0.071 seconds behind first place, reported Paralympics New Zealand.
He competes in the VL3 200-meter para va’a, which is a rudderless outrigger canoe that has a pontoon as a support float and the competitor uses a single-blade paddle. The VL3 category is for those with lower-body impairments.
When he was 15, the rugby player was training for the Iron Maori triathlon when his bike was clipped by an oncoming car. Later, his right leg had to be amputated above his knee. When he was 17, he was invited to a waka ama, or Maori outrigger canoe, training session.
He served a mission in Japan and Australia, and he and his wife are the parents of two boys.
When to watch: The men’s va’a single 200-meter VL3 heats are on Friday, Sept. 6, with the semifinals and finals on Sunday, Sept. 8.
