Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | March 11, 1974 |
Sport | |
Country | United States |
Sport | Wheelchair rugby, Para-cycling |
Club | Portland Pounders |
Team | United States |
Medal record |
William Groulx (born March 11, 1974) [1] is an American wheelchair rugby player and cycler, and a member of the United States wheelchair rugby team.
He was part of the US team that took the gold medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, and a bronze medal in Athens in 2004. [2] He won three medals for cycling in the 2016 Paralympics. [3]
He served in the United States Navy from 1995 to 2001.
In 2001, he had a spinal cord injury after a motorcycle accident. [4]
He was nominated for an ESPY Award in 2009, in the category Best Male Athlete with a Disability. [5]
He is a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. [6]
The 2004 Summer Paralympics, the 12th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Athens, Greece from 17 to 28 September 2004. 3,806 athletes from 136 National Paralympic Committees competed. 519 medal events were held in 19 sports.
Wheelchair rugby is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport.
Wheelchair Rugby at the 2004 Summer Paralympics was staged at the Helliniko Indoor Arena from September 19 to September 25.
The Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award is an annual award honoring the achievements of a male individual from the world of disabled sports. Established with the aid of disability advocate and former United States Paralympic soccer player Eli Wolff, the accolade's trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is presented to the disabled sportsman adjudged to be the best at the annual ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was first bestowed as part of the ESPY Awards in 2005 after the non-gender specific Best Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award was presented the previous three years. Balloting for the award is undertaken by fans over the Internet from between three and five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee, which is composed of a panel of experts. It is conferred in July to reflect performance and achievement over the preceding twelve months.
Jessica Galli is a female wheelchair racing athlete. Raised in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, Galli has participated in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Paralympic Games. At the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games she won the silver medal in the 800 meter T53 female wheelchair race. Galli set a world record holder in the T53 400 m race with a time of 55.82 at the 2007 European Wheelchair Championships on June 7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. A total of 213 U.S. competitors took part in 18 sports; the only 2 sports Americans did not compete in were soccer 5-a-side and 7-a-side. The American delegation included 16 former members of the U.S. military, including 3 veterans of the Iraq War. Among them were shot putter Scott Winkler, who was paralyzed in an accident in Iraq, and swimmer Melissa Stockwell, a former United States Army officer who lost her left leg to a roadside bomb in the war.
Australia has participated officially in every Paralympic Games since its inauguration in 1960 except for the 1976 Winter Paralympics.
David Wagner is an American wheelchair tennis player. Paralyzed from the mid-chest down and with thirty percent function in his hands, he competes in the quad division. He plays by taping the tennis racket to his hand. He is currently ranked number three in the world in singles and number two in doubles.
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A total of 50 U.S. competitors took part in all five sports. The American delegation included five former members of the U.S. military, including a veteran of the Iraq War and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan.
Matt Scott is an American wheelchair basketball player.
The United States national wheelchair rugby team represents the United States in international wheelchair rugby. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all four Paralympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with two golds.
Cameron Carr, is an Australian Paralympic wheelchair rugby player. He has won a silver medal at the 2008 Paralympics and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics.
Mallory Weggemann is an American Paralympic swimmer.
Rebecca Murray is an American former wheelchair basketball player. She is a two-time Parapan American Games gold medalist in both 2007 and 2011. In 2010, she won two more gold medals at IWBF World Championship and at U25 World Championship in 2011.
Australia competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. Australia repeated its 2012 Summer Paralympics achievement in finishing fifth of the medal tally.
The United States competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The first places the team qualified were for three athletes in sailing events. They also qualified athletes in archery, goalball, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair basketball.
Heath Arthur Davidson, is an Australian wheelchair tennis player. Davidson is a four-time Australian Open doubles champion, all partnering Dylan Alcott. He has also won two Paralympic medals, a gold and silver in doubles at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, respectively.
Rick Draney is a former wheelchair tennis and wheelchair rugby athlete.
The United States competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan from 24 August to 5 September 2021.
Chuck Aoki also known as Charles Aoki is an American Paralympic wheelchair rugby player and a former wheelchair basketball player who currently plays for the United States national wheelchair rugby team. He initially pursued his career in wheelchair basketball before permanently switching to wheelchair rugby. He has represented United States at the Paralympics in 2012, 2016 and 2020. He is currently regarded as one of the top 3.0 classified players in the world.