Rebecca Murray

Rebecca Murray (born March 15, 1990) is an American former wheelchair basketball player. She is a two-time Parapan American Games gold medalist in both 2007 and 2011. In 2010, she won two more gold medals at IWBF World Championship and at U25 World Championship in 2011.

Rebecca Murray
Personal information
Born (1990-03-15) March 15, 1990
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Nationality United States
Listed height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Medals
Representing the  United States
Women's wheelchair basketball
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place2008 BeijingTeam
Gold medal – first place2016 RioTeam
World Championship
Silver medal – second place2010 BirminghamTeam
Bronze medal – third place2022 DubaiTeam
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place2007 RioTeam
Gold medal – first place2011 GuadalajaraTeam

Early life

Murray was born on March 15, 1990, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to parents Richard and Linda Murray.[1] She was born with spina bifida which paralyzed her from the waist down.[2] She first started playing wheelchair basketball at the age of six through the assistance of the IndependenceFirst organization.[3] Murray remained with the sport and began attending a University of Wisconsin–Whitewater wheelchair basketball camp[4] before joining the Milwaukee Wizards at the age of 12.[1]

Murray graduated from Germantown High School in 2008 and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater for a degree in special education.[1]

Career

At the age of 18, Murray made her Summer Paralympic Games debut at the 2008 Summer Paralympics where she helped the United States women's national wheelchair basketball team win a gold medal.[4] Following this, she became a IWBF World Championships gold medalist in 2010 and a Parapan American Games gold medalist in 2011.[5]

During the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Murray was the leading scorer in both games leading up to the gold medal round. She scored 31 points in the semi-final win against Great Britain and 33 points to win the gold medal over Germany.[6] As a result of her play, she was named a finalist for Team USA's Female Athlete of the Paralympic Games.[7] Following the Games, Murray took a break from competition but returned for the qualifications for the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[8] However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Murray chose to quit the sport before the Games began.[5]

She represented the United States at the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships and won a bronze medal.[9]

References
  1. "Becca Murray". Team USA. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  2. Mintz, Hillary (January 4, 2017). "'You can do whatever you want,' Germantown paralympian tells students at her former schools". WISN. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  3. "USA'S BECCA MURRAY: WHO I AM AS A PERSON WOULD BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT IF IT WEREN'T FOR WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. May 18, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. Janik, Erika (August 1, 2016). "Three-Time Paralympian Becca Murray Is Team USA Veteran". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. Palmer, Dan (May 20, 2020). "Double Paralympic champion Murray confirms wheelchair basketball retirement". Inside the Games. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  6. "'Pressure' brings out the best of US star Rebecca Murray". Olympics. May 12, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  7. "Finalists for Team USA Awards announced". Paralympics. September 21, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  8. "Rebecca Murray returns to wheelchair basketball". Paralympics. January 29, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  9. Goldberg, Steve (June 9, 2023). "U.S. Squads Enter Postponed Wheelchair Basketball Worlds With Medal Hopes". teamusa.org. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
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