Black Athletes Striving for Gold at the 2020 Paralympics

By YO! Staff & YO! Volunteer Amanda Ciuric

Fast Facts about Paralympians Breanna Clark, Kym Crosby, and Jamal Hill

We’re rooting for all of Team USA, but we have a special place for the Californians! We are celebrating Black Heritage Month by highlighting 3 of the fastest Paralympic athletes with fast facts!

Breanna Clark

  • Age: 26
  • Hometown: Los Angeles, California
  • Sport: Track and Field
Breanna Clark of the United States celebrates winning the gold medal in the Women’s 400m – T20 Final on day 6 of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on September 13, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images for Tokyo 2020)
  1. Breanna won gold in the 400-meter T20 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games — her first Paralympics!
  2. Olympic athletic skill runs in Breanna’s genes! Her mother, Rosalyn Bryant, was also a track athlete and won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games. 
  3. Breanna was diagnosed with autism at age four.
  4. She’s multi-talented! Breanna is also one of the lead singers in her church choir and she sang in her high school and community college choir.

Kym Crosby

  • Age: 27
  • Hometown: Yuba City, California
  • Sport: Track and Field
Kym Crosby warms up before her big race at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo from Team USA’s Twitter)
  1. Kym won bronze in the 100M T13 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games — and has six other medals from International competitions (2 silver, 4 bronze)!
  2. Kym was born with Albinism, a condition that leaves her without pigment in her skin, hair or eyes. She is legally blind with 20/400 vision.
  3. Kym is proudly half Jamaican.
  4. Started Track & Field after her brother suggested she join after seeing her run a mile.
  5. Competed on the Chico State Track and Field for three years.

Jamal Hill

  • Age: 24 (soon to be 25 on Feb. 24!)
  • Hometown: Inglewood, California
  • Sport: Swimming
Jamal Hill receives his Silver medal for the S10 50M FREESTYLE at the 2019 Parapan Games in Lima, Peru. (Photo courtesy of Jamal Hill.)
  1. Jamal is ranked #1 in the US Paralympic 100 Free and number 22 in the world!
  2. He became paralyzed after catching the flu as a young boy.
    At only 10 years old, Jamal was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) – an inherited condition of the nervous system that can result in loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation in the body. 
    (He calls his journey, “From paralysis to Paralympic Champion.”)
  3. Jamal developed a love for swimming through a local YMCA “Mommy & Me” swim class.
  4. His brand, ‘Swim Up Hill’ has a mission to teach one million people to swim, and to “inspire millions more through community impact and tech integration”.
  5. Jamal’s other interests include being a swim coach, picnics, audio books, and surfing.
Check out Jamal’s short documentary, “Swim Up Hill”

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