Six Ways Women Made History at the Paris Paralympics

Three medals are positioned on white podiums against a light purple background. The gold medal with the number 1 is on the highest podium, the silver medal with the number 2 is on the left podium, and the bronze medal with the number 3 is on the right podium.

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The Paris Paralympics came to a close over the weekend, concluding eleven days of riveting athleticism and competition. From ground-breaking competitors to record-setting wins, women athletes stood out throughout the event. Here are just a few of the ways girls and women made history at the 2024 Paralympics.

  1. While the Paralympics as a whole hasn’t reached gender parity, Team USA achieved that milestone this year with an equal number of men and women athletes. As 19th News reported, Team USA consisted of “110 men, 110 women and five guides to support blind athletes.”
  2. Speaking of Team USA, Sarah Adam made history as the first woman to represent the country in wheelchair basketball, taking home a silver medal. NBA News did a segment on Adam as their “New Favorite Paralympian,” detailing how she came to the sport.
  3. 16-year-old Telaya Blacksmith made her Paralympic debut this summer. In qualifying for the games, she set a personal and event record in the women’s 400m sprint T20. In addition to this, Blacksmith is the first Warlpiri athlete to compete in the Paralympics.
  4. Jodie Grinham won bronze in women’s individual compound archery, as well as gold in the mixed team event. With this, the British archer became the first pregnant athlete to medal at the Paralympics. Afterwards, she shared, “It’s been a real honor to know that the baby is there…my coach and I spent a long time doing little pregnancy prep with her moving me and the bump so I could get used to that feeling.”
  5. Taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi took part in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics shortly after fleeing Afghanistan, becoming the first woman to represent the country at the event since 2004. At the Paris Paralympics, she competed as part of the Refugee Paralympic Team, again making history. Khudadadi secured the Refugee Paralympic Team’s first-ever medal, winning bronze in the women’s K44 -47kg weight class.
  6. Palesha Goverdhan is another taekwondo athlete who made history at the Paris Paralympics. Goverdhan won bronze in the women’s K44 -57kg weight class category, bringing home the first Paralympic or Olympic medal for Nepal. She gave a speech after her return home, emphasizing the significance of the moment, “I kept my promise, I brought a medal back home. This achievement is not just for me, but for everyone.”

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