Photo of a blind Olympic athlete

Lex Gillette competes in the Paralympics in 2016.

Aflo Co. Ltd./Alamy Stock Photo

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Olimpiadas

an event where people gather to show they disagree with something

  • can’t stop thinking about
  • can’t stop thinking about
  • can’t stop thinking about

The students organized a protest because they didn’t want to wear school uniforms.

Olympics
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photo credit: ranplett/istock/Getty
Lex

an event where people gather to show they disagree with something

  • can’t stop thinking about
  • can’t stop thinking about
  • can’t stop thinking about

The students organized a protest because they didn’t want to wear school uniforms.

Paralímpicos

Ready to Shine

Meet three top athletes hoping to win big at the Paralympics.

As You Read: Which of these athletes would you most like to see compete? Why? 

World map highlighting France

Jim McMahon/Mapman® 

The aren’t the only big sporting event taking place this summer in Paris, France. Starting August 28, the city will host the Paralympics too. It’s the world’s biggest competition for athletes with disabilities. 

The first official Paralympics were held in 1960 in Rome, Italy. About 400 athletes from 23 countries took part.

This summer, about 4,400 athletes from more than 110 countries will participate in the Games. They will compete in 22 sports. 

Here are three athletes hoping to win gold for Team USA.

1. PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo 2. Henry Browne/Action Images via Reuters 3. AFLO SPORT/Alamy Live News

1. A guide helps Gillette know exactly where to line up on the runway. 2. Gillette takes 16 strides before leaping into the air. 3. After his jump, he lands in a sandpit.

Lex Gillette: Long Jump

What’s it like to leap through the air as fans cheer you on? For Gillette, it’s like being a superhero. 

“It definitely is a really cool feeling,” he says.

The athlete lost his vision completely when he was 8 years old. He competes with the aid of a guide.

Gillette has won five silver medals at past Paralympics. He also holds the world record for the longest jump by an athlete who is totally blind: 22 feet, 2 inches. But Gillette isn’t slowing down. He hopes to win gold in Paris and maybe even set a new world record.*

“There’s going to be different challenges and things that might try to trip you up,” he says. “But always believe that you have what it takes to keep pushing forward.”

*At press time, Gillette still needed to officially earn a spot on the U.S. Paralympic team.

Sports for All
Watch a video to see athletes with disabilities in action!
Photo of Olympic basketball players in wheelchairs competing

Michael A. Clubine/National Wheelchair Basketball Association

Ixhelt González dribbles the ball during a game last November.

Ixhelt González: Wheelchair Basketball

Ixhelt González is usually shy. But that changes when she plays wheelchair basketball. 

“I’m very aggressive on the court,” she says.

González began playing wheelchair basketball when she was about 7 years old. When she was 13, she made the U.S. women’s national team. She won a bronze medal at the Paralympics in 2021 as a member of Team USA. 

González doesn’t use a wheelchair in her daily life. But her disability can be painful. Her thigh bones and feet are turned inward. This prevents her from walking long distances. But that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her dreams. She’s grateful to be able to play a sport she loves. 

“It’s taken me all over the world,” she says.

Photo of an Olympic athlete with a disability using a bow & arrow with foot

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Matt Stutzman aims at a target at the Paralympics in 2021.

Matt Stutzman: Archery

Hitting a target with a bow and arrow isn’t easy. Matt Stutzman did it from 310 yards away. That’s almost as long as three football fields. The shot set a record. Even more amazing? He fired the shot with his feet! 

Stutzman was born without arms. He got into archery in 2010. At first, it was a way to hunt so he could help feed his family. But over time, the sport became about something much more.

“It was more about showing the world what people with physical disabilities can do,” Stutzman says.  

This summer will be Stutzman’s fourth time competing in the Paralympics. He won silver in 2012. He hopes to inspire kids to be resilient.  

“Never give up,” Stutzman says.

Photo of an archer taking out the arrow from the bulls-eye with their foot

Jamie Squire/Getty Images 

Stutzman uses his toes to remove the arrow from the target.

  1. Based on the article, how have the Paralympics changed over time?
  2. Describe one way Lex Gillette and Matt Stutzman are alike and one way they are different.
  3. How does Ixhelt González say she changes when she’s playing wheelchair basketball?
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