Ten Black woman Paralympians to know

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics began Tuesday, and today I want to share a few Black sportswomen to know who have competed – or are still competing – in the Paralympic Summer Games, and their contributions to sports history.

Check out this 100 things to know about the Paralympic Games, from Olympics.com. There’s also a Paralympics preview from the Burn It All Down podcast. There are also new articles about the history and a timeline of the Paralympics.

Here are 10 Black sportswomen to know.

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Femita Ayanbeku is a Team USA sprinter and two-time Paralympian who competes in the T64 classification. Read this feature on her journey.

Kare Adenegan is a British wheelchair athlete sprinting in the T34 classification. At 15, at the 2016 Games, she won a silver medal and two bronze medals. Adenegan has a live interview available on YouTube.

Breanna Clark is a Paralympic champion for Team USA, who won gold in the 400m T20 at the 2016 Games and also at the 2017 World championships. Clark was recently featured in the L.A. Sentinel.

Kadeena Cox is a world and Paralympic gold medalist and first British Paralympian to win golds in multiple sports at the same Games since 1984. The T38 sprinter and C4 para-cycler was featured on Sky Sports and Yahoo Sports.

April Holmes is a Team USA gold medalist. She won gold in the 100m T44 event in 2008, bronze in 2012. In 2004, she won bronze in the long jump F44/46 event.

Brittni Mason is a world champion and world record holder in the 100m T47 event, and is competing for the U.S. in this year’s Games. Team USA wrote a full feature article.

Liliane Mukobwankawe is the captain of the Rwanda women’s sitting volleyball team. Watch this feature on the Rwandan women’s sitting volleyball team.

Zanele Situ is the first Black South African woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. She competed in throwing events, winning four total medals from 2000-2016. 21 Icons made a short film about Situ.

Anne Wafula Strike is the “the first wheelchair racer from Sub-Sahara Africa to compete at the Paralympics,” competing for Kenya. Watch her interview with Birmingham Wheelchair Basketball and her TEDx Talk.

Grace Wembolua is a wheelchair basketball player who competes for France. Watch/listen to her official Paralympic Games interview.

Deja Young is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, winning gold in 2016 in the T46 100m and 200m events. The Tufts Daily wrote a feature on Young.