Cheri Madsen Inducted Into the 2026 Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame
Move United recently inducted Paralympic Medalist Cheri Madsen (left) into the National Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame. She is pictured with one of her coaches, Wendy Gumbert
National Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame recognizes achievements in summer and winter adaptive sports in the Competitor and Contributor categories
The Summer Competition category recognizes an individual athlete who has, in their participation in national and international competition, distinguished themselves through outstanding performance and superior sportsmanship over the span of at least three years. Criteria for consideration include race results, team participation, innovation, and contribution to their sport.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska and an enrolled member of the Omaha Tribe, Madsen was paralyzed at age 3 and was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, a neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord. She began wheelchair racing as a teenager in 1994, qualifying for the 1996 Paralympics just two years later. Madsen made history as the first Native American woman to win an Olympic Medal, securing Bronze in the 800m exhibition contest at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Madsen participated in the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney in four events, this time in the T54 classification, winning two gold and one silver medal. After a break to start a family, she returned in 2013, medaling at the 2013 IPC World Championships, 2015 Parapan American Games and 2016 Rio Paralympics, medaling on all occasions.
She would win Silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and medals at subsequent world championships and added to her achievements with silver and bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
In total, her athletic career spans four Paralympic Games (1996, 2000, 2016, and 2020) and includes 10 Paralympic medals, including 2 golds, 5 silvers, and 3 bronzes.
In 2023, Madsen was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletes Hall of Fame. She is now coaching other emerging adaptive athletes. “I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I can’t wait to see what the next generation of athletes accomplish,” Madsen said.
To learn more about the Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame, including a list of past award recipients, visit https://www.moveunitedsport.org/sports/adaptive-sports-awards/.
Shuan Butcher
Move United
+1 240-268-2180
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