Show-Me State Times

Team USA's Paralympic wheelchair rugby team secured a silver medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Japan emerged victorious with a 48-41 win over Team USA.

Sarah Adam, the first woman to join the U.S. wheelchair rugby team, and co-captain Chuck Aoki led their team in the final match, contributing 14 tries. The event featured eight teams: France, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and Team USA.

Wheelchair rugby has been part of the Paralympics since 2000. Team USA has historically dominated this sport with seven medals overall—three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes—plus a gold when it was a demonstration sport at Atlanta 1996.

The 2024 Paralympic Games hosted over 4,400 athletes across 22 sports with 549 medal events. This year marked a record number of female athletes participating. The USA Paralympic team roster achieved gender parity with equal representation of women and men.

Adam made history as the first woman on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team. She was part of the starting lineup during Team USA's opening match against Canada on August 29th where she scored six times in their victory.

“Though it’s an absolute honor to be the first female," Adam stated. "I’ve worked hard to earn a spot on this team and to ensure that I’m seen as an athlete first."

Adam's involvement in wheelchair rugby began in 2013 when she volunteered at a regional parasport event. Her life changed in 2016 following her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis.

In addition to her historic participation at these games, Adam won gold at the Parapan American Games in 2023 and played an essential role in securing silver for her team at the Wheelchair Rugby World Championship in 2022.

Her accomplishments have established her as a significant figure within Paralympic sports history.