Let’s Go: 10 Paralympic Athletes to Root For In Paris

After graduating from high school Cassie developed Devic's disease, also known as neuromyelitis optica, a rare neurological condition. This left her paralyzed from the chest down. She also has permanent double vision. This four-time American Paralympian competes in discus and club throw events. She has three medals to her name, two silver and one bronze, but there's always room for more. Beyond sports, she teaches at Georgia Tech’s biomedical engineering department and has over 75 published research papers to her name.

This American archer is a four-time Paralympian. He won silver in London and has already taken home gold in Paris. He was born without arms and competes in archery using his legs and feet. He even drives a car this way.

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Sarah Adam is busting through the glass ceiling. She is the first woman ever to play wheelchair rugby team for Team USA. This is a sport so tough it earned the nickname "murderball." She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2016. Off the field, she works at St. Louis University as a professor of occupational therapy.

This American sprinter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 14. He is a two-time Paralympian with four medals to his name. He started out on the soccer team but moved over to track and field. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, he set world records the 100m and 200m. If you blink, you will miss this fast dude.

This American wheelchair rugby player does not have any feeling in his body below his knees and elbows. This is due to a genetic condition called hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies type II. He is a four-time Paralympian with four Paralympic medals to his name. Beyond sports, he enjoys history novels and crossword puzzles.

Diede de Groot is a Dutch wheelchair tennis player who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world in both singles and doubles. At birth, her legs were uneven. This is her third time in the Paralympic Games and she is looking to add to her two gold medals. Beyond the Games, she already has an impressive 42 Grand Slam titles to her name as well.

Canadian Patrick Anderson is considered the "king of wheelchair basketball." At the age of 9 he was hit by a drunk driver and his legs had to be amputated below the knee as a result. These are his sixth and final Games, so cheer extra loud for him.

This Spanish swimmer is the most decorated Paralympian in her country. She has 28 Paralympic medals in her name. She lost the use of her legs at the age of 19, just three months after receiving a diagnosis of neuropathy. Beyond the pool, she advocates for the Games and encourages others to compete.

When Scout Bassett was a baby, she was abandoned by the side of the road in China. She had just lost her right leg in a chemical fire. She spent seven years in an orphanage in Nanjing before being adopted by Americans Joe and Susan Bassett in 1995. She started playing sports to make new friends and strengthen her language skills. This is her second Paralympic Games.

This American tennis player broke his neck at the beach in 1995, which left him paralyzed from the mid-chest down. He played tennis before the accident and found with a lot of hard work he still could after, just in a different way. He has consistently ranked in the top three throughout his impressive career. Lets not forget the more than a dozen Grand Slam titles either.