Sarah Adam of Team USA in a wheelchair rugby match during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games. Ryan Beatty-USA TODAY

U.S. woman makes incredible history at 2024 Paralympics

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 8/30/24

Sarah Adam on Thursday became the first American woman to participate in wheelchair rugby at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Playing alongside 11 other men, Adam made several winning plays in Team USA's 51-48 win over Canada in the group stage opener at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

With 5:33 left in the first quarter, Adam made more history when she scored on her first try, becoming the first woman to convert a try at the Paralympics. The video board at the arena highlighted her significant achievement, and she received a loud ovation.

After the win, Adam said she was thrilled to be leading the way for women in wheelchair rugby.

"It is a really exciting time for women in sports," Adam said. "It is great to see us getting the recognition we've always deserved. I am so glad that fans will have the opportunity to fall in love with our stories and our sports and to get to do all this alongside this amazing team is truly an honor. I have worked hard to become an elite athlete and am proud to be part of this team."

In an interview with USA Today, Adam said she wants to be "seen as any other athlete" and not given special treatment due to her gender. The 33-year-old hoped that the excessive attention on her would cease as she and her teammates pursued a gold medal in wheelchair rugby.

If you can see it, you can be it.

Sarah Adam is making history with @usawchrugby at the #ParisParalympics. pic.twitter.com/8w7tg72T0k
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 29, 2024

The 33-year-old Adam — a professor of occupational therapy at St. Louis University — originally gravitated to the sport as an able-bodied volunteer. However, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2019, which led to her being classified into the sport. She would subsequently help Team USA capture gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago and silver at the 2022 World Championships in Vejle.

For context, wheelchair rugby has always been considered a mixed-gender sport since it became an official event at the Paralympics in 2000. The physical nature of the sport made it a male-dominant sport until the likes of Adam came around. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, only four of the 96th athletes were female. That number has doubled to eight at the ongoing Paris Games.

Team USA will face Japan in their next group-stage game on Friday.

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