Iowa has seven local Paralympians to root for, and we talk with three of them in this episode.
Jessica Heims, a 25-year-old originally from Swisher, is making her third Paralympic appearance competing in discus. She discusses her journey in track and field from childhood to competing for University of Northern Iowa, and competing professionally since the Tokyo games in 2021.
We also listen back to a previously aired conversation with Little Rock, Arkansas native 21-year-old Olivia Chambers, who swims collegiately for UNI, and will be competing in at least five events in Paris.
Then, we talk with 27-year-old Justin Phongsavanh, who grew up in Ankeny and currently lives in McDonough, Georgia. Since he won a bronze medal in Tokyo, he's earned two Master's degrees with plans to form a nonprofit to equip people with custom-fitted wheelchairs.
Guests:
- Jessica Heims, discus thrower, Bondurant resident
- Olivia Chambers, biology major, University of Northern Iowa
- Justin Phongsavanh, Bronze medalist
A portion of this episode was originally produced 1-11-2023.
