Illinois Wheelchair Racers Ready for the Paralympic Games
Wednesday, 21 August 2024
A University of Illinois coach will be heading to Paris for the Paralympic games.
Adam Bleakney, the head coach of the U of I wheelchair track and road racing team, will be coaching for team USA.
Bleakney has been coaching at Illinois since 2005 and has competed in multiple Paralympic games including in 2004 where he won the silver medal in the 800-meter race.
“I didn’t really have any interest in being a coach, but the opportunity presented itself for wheelchair track and marathon racing.” Bleakney said, “It is a passion of mine, and I had such a good, impactful experience here at Illinois, I felt some sense of responsibility and to provide those experiences to other student athletes.”
In his coaching career, his athletes have won 55 medals while also setting 14 world records on the track.
There will be 9 competitors representing team USA, with 7 of the 9 either being current student athletes or have recently graduated.
The Paralympic games will start in Paris on August 28th.
