Barrier Breaker: SLU’s Sarah Adam Wins Silver at 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris

Japan defeats Team USA 48-41

ST. LOUIS — Team USA's Paralympic wheelchair rugby team kept their medal streak alive by winning the silver medal on Monday in Paris. Japan claimed gold following the 48-41 win over Team USA.

First-time Paralympian Sarah Adam, OTD, assistant professor of occupational science and occupational therapy at Saint Louis University, played a key role for Team USA.

Launch SlideshowSarah Adam, the first woman to be named to a U.S. wheelchair rugby team, practices at the Bridgeton Recreation Center on April 11, 2024. Photo by Sarah Conroy/Saint Louis University.

Eight teams – France, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and Team USA – competed at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, which lasts through Sept. 8. 

Adam and co-captain Chuck Aoki led Team USA in the final match with 14 tries — tries are worth one point each.

Wheelchair rugby has been an official Paralympic sport since 2000, and Team USA has been this sport’s most dominant team – winning seven medals in total at the Paralympics (three gold, two silver and two bronze – as well as winning the gold when it was a demonstration sport at Atlanta 1996).

The Paralympic Games featured over 4,400 athletes competing in 22 sports for 549 medal events. That included a record 1,983 female athletes, and the USA Paralympic team roster featured equal gender representation with 110 women and 110 men.

Adam made history as the first woman to play on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team. She was in the starting lineup when Team USA kicked off its campaign on Thursday, Aug. 29, in the team's 51-48 win against Canada, scoring six times in the victory.

“Though it’s an absolute honor to be the first female, I’ve worked hard to earn a spot on this team and to ensure that I’m seen as an athlete first," she said.

Adam’s journey in wheelchair rugby began in 2013 when, as a non-disabled volunteer at a regional parasport event, she was introduced to the sport that would later become her passion. Adam's life took an unexpected turn in 2016 when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

At the 2023 Parapan American Games, Adam not only became the first woman ever to claim gold in wheelchair rugby at the Parapan American Games, but she was one of the top athletes on the court as well. She scored the second-highest point total of the tournament and helped guarantee Team USA a coveted spot at the 2024 Paralympic Games.

Adding to her accolades, Adam played a crucial role in her team earning the silver medal at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championship, further solidifying her reputation as a formidable force in the sport. Her latest achievements have now cemented her place in Paralympic history.

Beyond the court, Adam's influence extends even further. As an occupational therapy professor at SLU, she is shaping the next generation of medical professionals and impacting their perspectives on disability.