Description

*Recorded on June 4th, 2025*

Stephanie Wheeler is a Paralympic gold medalist, Hall of Fame inductee, and head coach of the University of Illinois women’s wheelchair basketball team. In this powerful episode of Hoopsology, she opens up about discovering the sport at 12 years old, the physical and emotional demands of Paralympic training, and her transition from elite athlete to national team coach.

Stephanie shares her perspective on growing the visibility of wheelchair basketball, the misconceptions surrounding adaptive sports, and what it means to be part of the 2004 gold medal team now being inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.

🔥 Topics Covered:

Her first basketball memory and what sparked her passion

Life as a Paralympian: training, sacrifice, and mindset

The transition from player to coach at Illinois

Misconceptions about disability in sport

What the LA 2028 Paralympics means for the future

How fans can support and follow wheelchair basketball

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Stephanie Wheeler, Paralympics, wheelchair basketball, adaptive sports, Paralympic coach, women’s basketball, University of Illinois, USOPC Hall of Fame, basketball coaching, athlete stories, Hoopsology podcast, inspirational athletes, LA 2028 Paralympics, disability sports, basketball culture

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