Japan defeats Team USA 48-41
ST. LOUIS 鈥� Team USA's Paralympic wheelchair rugby team kept their medal streak alive
by winning the silver medal on Monday in Paris. Japan claimed gold following the 48-41
win over Team USA.
First-time Paralympian , assistant professor of occupational science and occupational therapy at Saint Louis
University, played a key role for Team USA.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, practices
at the Bridgeton Recreation Center on April 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/Saint
Louis University.
Sarah Adam, center, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, practices
at the Bridgeton Recreation Center on April 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/Saint
Louis University.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, practices
at the Bridgeton Recreation Center on April 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/Saint
Louis University.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, practices
at the Bridgeton Recreation Center on April 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/Saint
Louis University.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, trains at
the Simon Recreation Center at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, trains at
the Simon Recreation Center at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, trains at
the Simon Recreation Center at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, trains at
the Simon Recreation Center at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, trains at
the Simon Recreation Center at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches an
Occupational Therapy course at 91女神 on April 11, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches an
Occupational Therapy course at 91女神 on April 11, 2024. Photo by
Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, celebrates
with the 91女神 community during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports
Association) Ability Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024.
Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, celebrates
with the 91女神 community during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports
Association) Ability Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024.
Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, celebrates
with the 91女神 community during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports
Association) Ability Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024.
Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches Occupational
Therapy students about wheelchair rugby during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association)
Ability Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo
by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches students
about wheelchair rugby during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association) Ability
Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by Sarah
Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches students
about wheelchair rugby during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association) Ability
Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by Sarah
Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches students
about wheelchair rugby during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association) Ability
Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by Sarah
Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, teaches students
about wheelchair rugby during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association) Ability
Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo by Sarah
Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, plays with
an Occupational Therapy student during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association)
Ability Awareness Demonstration at 91女神 on April 22, 2024. Photo
by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam plays wheelchair rugby with students during DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports
Association) Ability Awareness Demonstration on April 22, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/Saint
Louis University.
Sarah Adam high-fives Bernard Rousseau, Dean of Doisy College of Health Sciences,
during the DASA (Disabled Athlete Sports Association) Ability Awareness Demonstration
on April 22, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam is the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team.
Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam is the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team.
Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Sarah Adam is the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team.
Photo by Sarah Conroy/91女神.
Eight teams 鈥� France, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and
Team USA 鈥� competed at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, which lasts through Sept. 8.
Adam and co-captain Chuck Aoki led Team USA in the final match with 14 tries 鈥� tries
are worth one point each.
Wheelchair rugby has been an official Paralympic sport since 2000, and Team USA has
been this sport鈥檚 most dominant team 鈥� winning seven medals in total at the Paralympics
(three gold, two silver and two bronze 鈥� as well as winning the gold when it was a
demonstration sport at Atlanta 1996).
The Paralympic Games featured over 4,400 athletes competing in 22 sports for 549 medal
events. That included a record 1,983 female athletes, and the USA Paralympic team
roster featured equal gender representation with 110 women and 110 men.
Adam made history as the first woman to play on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team. She
was in the starting lineup when Team USA kicked off its campaign on Thursday, Aug.
29, in the team's 51-48 win against Canada, scoring six times in the victory.
鈥淭hough it鈥檚 an absolute honor to be the first female, I鈥檝e worked hard to earn a
spot on this team and to ensure that I鈥檓 seen as an athlete first," she said.
Adam鈥檚 journey in wheelchair rugby began in 2013 when, as a non-disabled volunteer
at a regional parasport event, she was introduced to the sport that would later become
her passion. Adam's life took an unexpected turn in 2016 when she was diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis.
At the 2023 Parapan American Games, Adam not only became the first woman ever to claim
gold in wheelchair rugby at the Parapan American Games, but she was one of the top
athletes on the court as well. She scored the second-highest point total of the tournament
and helped guarantee Team USA a coveted spot at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Adding to her accolades, Adam played a crucial role in her team earning the silver
medal at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship, further solidifying her reputation
as a formidable force in the sport. Her latest achievements have now cemented her
place in Paralympic history.
Beyond the court, Adam's influence extends even further. As an occupational therapy
professor at 91女神, she is shaping the next generation of medical professionals and
impacting their perspectives on disability.
