The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, held from August 28 to September 8, promise to be an extraordinary celebration of athleticism and inclusivity.
With the official competition beginning on August 29, over 4,400 Paralympians will compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports, set against the stunning backdrops of Paris’s most iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Château de Versailles.
We’re profiling these 17 out LGBTQ athletes to watch, competing on the world’s largest athletic stage.
This list is not exhaustive–there were at least 36 out LGBTQ Paralympians at the Tokyo 2020 Games–so we can expect more to be revealed in the coming weeks!Â
Alana Maldonado (Brazil – Para Judo)
Alana Maldonado is a visually impaired Brazilian judoka who, at just 29-years-old, has already left her mark on the international stage. Her accomplishments in Para Judo include: a silver medal in 70 kg Para Judo at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, a gold medal in the same event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and two Parapan American Games silver medals. The reigning Paralympic judo champion will seek to defend her title at the Paris 2024 Games on September 6th at 4:42 a.m. ET with the Women -70 kg J2 Quarterfinals.Â
Brenda Osnaya (Mexico – Para Triathlon)
Brenda Osnaya Alvarez is a mexican triathlete who suffered a broken spine as the result of a car accident while on her way to a national roller skating competition. After practicing swimming as a part of her rehabilitation, Osnaya Alvarez made the decision to continue to be an athlete and has since become an important name in Para Triathlon throughout Mexico and Central America. Since starting Para Triathlon, she has competed in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in which she finished fifth in Women’s Individual Para Triathlon Wheelchair (PTWC). Watch her compete on Monday September 2nd as she aims to make the podium for the first time!
Cindy Ouellet (Canada – Wheelchair Basketball)
View this post on Instagram
Cindy Ouellet is one of the biggest stars on the Canadian women’s national wheelchair basketball team. She previously competed in four Paralympic Games and five Parapan American Games. She has also competed in Para-Nordic skiing at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, making her one of the few athletes to have competed in a summer and winter Paralympics. Watch her and the Canadian wheelchair basketball team take on China on Thursday, August 29th at 12:15 p.m. ET as they begin their pursuit of a Paralympic gold medal.
Courtney Ryan (United States – Wheelchair Basketball)
Courtney Ryan is a Paralympic wheelchair basketball player for the United States and assistant coach with the University of Arizona’s wheelchair basketball team. In 2020, she and the United States wheelchair basketball team won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Tune in on Friday, August 30th at 10:00 a.m ET as they take on Germany in the preliminary round of women’s wheelchair basketball.
Débora Menezes (Brazil – Para Taekwondo)
View this post on Instagram
DĂ©bora Bezerra de Menezes is a 34-year-old powerhouse in the world of Para Taekwondo. Representing Brazil, DĂ©bora showcased her remarkable talent at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where she earned a silver medal in the women’s +58 kg event, marking a significant achievement in her career. Outside of the Paralympics, she has also won a silver medal at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru.Â
Emma Wiggs, MBE (Great Britain – Para Canoe)
Emma Clare Wiggs, MBE is a British paracanoeist, five-time world champion, and former sitting volleyball player who has made a profound impact on adaptive sports. After a virus left her with permanent nerve damage in her legs, Wiggs transitioned from teaching to becoming an elite athlete. In 2016, she won a gold medal at the Rio Paralympic Games in the Women’s Paracanoe KL2. Years later she added to her collection with a gold and silver medal in Women’s Va’a Single VL2 and Women’s Kayak Single KL2 respectively at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Beyond sports, Wiggs is a motivational speaker and ambassador, advocating for diversity and access for people with disabilities.
Hailey Danz (United States – Para Triathlon)
Hailey Danz is a world-class athlete and two-time Paralympic medalist. At 12-years-old she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer). When she was 14, Danz decided to have her leg amputated in order to return to her active lifestyle. In 2011, she discovered triathlon through Dare2Tri, a paratriathlon club based out of Chicago. Despite lacking swimming, biking, and running experience, Danz won an ITU Paratriathlon world title in 2013 went on to win a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Since then, she has earned several additional titles, including two USA Paratriathlon National Championships and a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. She’ll have the opportunity to win her third Paralympic medal on Sunday, September 1st as she takes on the competition in Women’s Paratriathlon Standing 2 (PTS2).
Kate O’Brien (Canada – Para Cycling)
Despite being a relative newcomer to Para Cycling, Kate O’Brien already has an impressive athletic record. Previously, O’Brien competed in Bobsleigh as a brakeman, however, a hamstring injury led her to explore cycling, where she quickly excelled. Within months of attending a testing camp for Cycling Canada, she made her international debut and finished fifth in the team sprint and keirin at the 2014 Pan American Championships. In 2017, she suffered severe head injuries after a training accident that left her unable to walk unassisted. After a trying recovery, O’Brien returned to the sport and made her first Paralympic appearance at the Tokyo 2020 Games where she won silver in the Women’s 500-meter Time Trial C4-5.Â
Katie-George Dunlevy (Ireland – Para Cycling)
Ver esta publicaciĂłn en InstagramUna publicaciĂłn compartida por Katie-George Dunlevy (@katiegdunlevy)
Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy is one of the most successful Para Athletes to ever represent the country, having medalled at every World and Paralympic Games since 2014. Recently, Dunlevy and her pilot Eve McCrystal won two gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Para Cycling Track and Para Cycling Road. Before becoming a Para Cyclist, Dunlevy was an accomplished Para Rower with two World Rowing Championships to her name.Â
Lauren Rowles, MBE (Great Britain – Para Rowing)
Lauren Rowles, MBE is a two-time Paralympic champion who won gold at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. As an out LGBTQ Paralympian, Lauren frequently uses her platform to share her personal journey and advocate for LGBTQ representation. Diagnosed with transverse myelitis at 13, which left her paralyzed from the waist down, Lauren was determined to become an elite athlete. Inspired by the London 2012 Paralympics, she initially excelled in wheelchair track racing before transitioning to rowing in 2015. Catch Rowles compete for her third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in PR2 Mixed Double Sculls on Friday, August 30th at 4:50 a.m. ET.
Laurie Williams (Great Britain – Wheelchair Basketball)
Ver esta publicaciĂłn en InstagramUna publicaciĂłn compartida por Laurie Williams (@laurie_williams8)
Laurie Williams is a mother to her daughter, partner of teammate Robyn Love, and successful wheelchair basketball player for Great Britain. Discovered at a wheelchair racing event in 2005, Laurie quickly rose to the ranks as a promising youth talent. She made her Paralympic debut representing Great Britain at the London 2012 Games. She has since earned multiple European medals and a silver at the 2018 World Championships. Outside of sports, Williams enjoys perfecting her soda bread recipe, British Sign Language, musical theater, and family walks with her dog, Whiskey. On Thursday, August 29th at 6:45 a.m. ET she and Great Britain’s wheelchair basketball team will have their first game against Spain in their pursuit for a gold medal.
Lucy Robinson (Great Britain – Wheelchair Basketball)
View this post on Instagram
Lucy Robinson, originally a junior footballer, first turned to wheelchair basketball after a football injury that ended her football career. Discovering the sport at a Leicester Cobras event, she quickly excelled, joining the BWB Advanced Apprenticeship in Sports Excellence in 2015. Lucy represented Great Britain for the first time in 2018, co-captaining the junior women’s team and leading them to a gold medal in the U24 European Championships. She continued on to win bronze at the 2019 U25 World Championships. On Thursday, August 29th at 6:45 a.m. ET she will have her second Paralympic appearance with Great Britain’s wheelchair basketball team as they compete against Spain in the preliminary round of the tournament.
Lucy Shuker (Great Britain – Wheelchair Tennis)
Lucy Shuker, a top wheelchair tennis player, is a London 2012 and Rio 2016 women’s doubles Bronze medalist and a Tokyo 2020 silver medalist. She also earned bronze medals in women’s singles and silver in women’s doubles at the 2023 European Para Championships. A former Hampshire County badminton player, Shuker was introduced to wheelchair tennis by former Paralympic quad singles champion Peter Norfolk, who loaned her a tennis chair. In 2022, Shuker was awarded a British Empire medal for her services to sport after completing her 20th year on Tour. On Friday, August 30th she will begin her quest for the coveted gold medal in Wheelchair Tennis Women’s Doubles at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Nikki Ayers (Australia – Para Rowing)
View this post on Instagram
Nikki Ayers is an Australian Paralympic rower who competed in the PR3 Mixed 4+ at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. After a rugby injury in 2016 led to severe leg damage, Ayers transitioned to rowing. She began serious training in 2016, earning fifth place at the 2018 World Rowing Championships. Ayers won the PR3 Women’s Single Scull at the Australian Rowing Championships in 2019 and 2021. In 2023, she and Jed Altschwager clinched gold in the PR3 Mixed Double at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Ayers will also be an ambassador for Pride House Paris 2024, the largest platform for LGBTQ advocacy of its kind for an Olympic or Paralympic Games. On Friday, August 30th at 5:30 a.m. ET she’ll return to the water in the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. This will be her first Paralympic Games as a publicly out LGBTQ Paralympian.Â
Robyn Love (Great Britain – Wheelchair Basketball)
View this post on Instagram
Originally from Scotland, Robyn Love began her wheelchair basketball journey at Edinburgh Napier University and quickly rose through the ranks. After contacting Basketball Scotland’s Tina Gordon in 2013, she won the Scottish Cup with Lothian Phoenix and the Scottish Universities Cup. By 2015, she debuted internationally with GB Women, earning silver at the Osaka Cup. Robyn played a key role in securing bronze at the 2015 European Championships, which qualified GB for the Rio 2016 Paralympics, where the team placed fourth. She later won bronze at the 2017 Europeans and silver at the 2018 World Championships. In 2022, Robyn was part of the Loughborough Lightning’s first BWB Women’s Premier League title and represented Team Scotland in wheelchair basketball’s Commonwealth Games debut. Love is engaged to fellow wheelchair basketball player Laurie Williams. They also have a child together. On Thursday, August 29th at 6:45 a.m. ET she and Great Britain’s wheelchair basketball team will have their first game against Spain in their pursuit for a gold medal.Â
Tara Llanes (Canada – Wheelchair Basketball)
Tara Llanes was a former professional mountain biker for 15 years and BMX Hall of Fame nominee. As a mountain biker, she won a gold, two silvers, and a bronze medal at the X-Games. She transitioned to wheelchair basketball in 2016 and quickly excelled. In 2018 she represented Canada at the World Wheelchair Basketball Championships. This is her second Paralympic Games. On Thursday, August 29th she and the Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team will take on China at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Valentina Petrillo (Italy – Para Athletics)
Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo is poised to make headlines on September 2nd when she will make history as the first out transgender athlete to compete in the Paralympic Games. Diagnosed with Stargardt disease at 14-years-old, Petrillo is visually impaired. She will run the 200-meter and 400-meter races in the T12 classification, which accommodates athletes with visual impairments.Â
Petrillo, who publicly came out as transgender in 2018, has faced numerous challenges, including pushback from the Italian Federation and various reclassification issues. Despite these challenges, she achieved national championship titles and a bronze medal at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championship. Her selection for Italy’s Paris 2024 Paralympic team represents a significant step forward in the fight for trans representation in sports. Cheer on Valentina Petrillo on September 2nd as she competes in the women’s 400-meter T12 race!
Learn more about Valentina’s story here.
GLAAD’s 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Guide was created in collaboration with Athlete Ally and Pride House France, and produced by the GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD’s training, research and consulting division. Learn more at GLAAD.org/Institute and support GLAAD’s work here.
