Eva Houston took bronze in the 800-meter wheelchair race during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Mark Reis, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
As Eva Houston was warming up for the 800-meter wheelchair race at the Paralympics this year, she felt a sense of self-doubt creeping over her.
It was a new feeling for the 23-year-old who grew up embracing her disabilities. As she made her first warm-up lap around the track, the confidence began to push through.
“I know my body was going to be able to do what it needed to do, even if my mind was feeling a little bit stressed,” Houston said.
She was on the national stage once again, and just six days prior, she earned fourth place in the 100-meter race. Her instincts took over as the race began and after pushing past a group of competitors, Houston realized she was in third place. It was an out-of-body experience as she crossed the finish line.
After spending most of her life watching Paralympic athletes she admired on the podium, Houston finally was able to take her own place as she earned the bronze medal.
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“When they called my name and I rolled forward to receive my medal, it felt like everything that I’ve ever done for this sport was all worth it. Every early morning, every sore muscle, every mile that I put on the road, all the discomfort and pain in those moments was so worth it,” Houston said.
Houston was one of at least three Nebraskans to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympics with more than 4,000 athletes.
Houston was born with cerebral palsy and was formally diagnosed at the age of 2. She grew up walking on crutches until she transitioned to a wheelchair in middle school. This week, she returned home to Omaha from her second Paralympic Games and her very first Paralympic medal around her neck.
“I was 13 when I was introduced to adaptive athletics, that’s when I started really keeping my eye on the Paralympic Games,” Houston said. “I never thought that it would be me.”
Eva Houston (right) holds her 2024 Paris Paralympics bronze medal next to parents Kevin and Vicky Houston.
COURTESY PHOTO
From a young age, Houston said her parents treated her as if she didn’t have a disability which helped shape her frame of mind. Shortly after her diagnosis, Houston was horseback riding and in physical therapy while participating in activities such as dance.
“They were constantly trying to get me into different activities that might bring me joy because they knew the power of community and inclusion and socialization,” Houston said. “Because they didn’t think anything different about my body, I didn’t.”
Houston jumped into the world of athletics by playing wheelchair basketball, but after six years, she felt like she was holding herself back.
“I was really intrigued with endurance sports,” Houston said. “I craved the idea of a long run and just letting your mind be free.”
It was love at first sight when Houston saw a commercial of a wheelchair racer. As a student at Omaha’s Westside High School, Houston was introduced to the girls high school track and field coach who not only allowed Houston to use the track to practice, but made her an official teammate.
“That coach was so enthusiastic and so willing to make a spot for me on his team, even though he had never coached anybody with a disability,” Houston said.
At the time, Houston said she was the only high school wheelchair racer that she knew of in Nebraska. Meeting Paralympian Cheri Madsen changed everything for her. The 10-time Paralympic medalist helped Houston grow in the sport and even helped get Houston her very first racing chair that actually fit.
While Houston admired Madsen, she never thought she would get into the Paralympic Games herself. Instead, her goal was to compete at the collegiate level. Her high school coach helped increase her workouts and before she knew it, the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics were on the horizon.
After graduating, Houston moved to Champaign, Illinois, for college and to train at the National Paralympic Training Center for wheelchair track and field. After being sent back home freshman year for the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston found the setback to be a helpful tool as she trained for an extra year.
“I really made some life changes after my freshman year,” Houston said. “I put my head down and really focused and I think that if I hadn’t received that extra year, I’m not sure if I would have made the team, but the stars just aligned.”
In Tokyo, Houston earned eighth place in the 100-meter race and sixth in the 800-meter races.
Off the track, Houston said the two weeks she spent in the Paralympic village with thousands of other people with disabilities showed a new level of camaraderie.
“You’ll never see that anywhere else and that understanding that we have, the respect that we have for each other’s unique abilities and bodies, I just don’t think that’s matched anywhere else in the world,” Houston said.
Houston was amazed to see all the different countries competing and moving their bodies in every way possible.
“There were scooters, there were wheelchairs, there were crutches and prosthetic legs. And I just had this realization that I was in the most diverse place in the world,” Houston said.
Natalie Schneider, a 41-year-old from Ord, competed in the Paralympics for her fifth time in wheelchair basketball. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her distal femur in high school.
Schneider, a 2007 graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, returned home from Paris with her first silver medal to add to her collection of two golds and one bronze.
Norfolk’s TaLeah Williams shoots over a Bellevue West defender during a Class A girls state tournament semifinal at Pinnacle Bank Arena on March 6, 2015.
Lincoln Journal file photo
Taleah Williams, a 27-year-old native from Norfolk, wasn’t always on board with the idea of competing against other athletes with disabilities. She was born without her lower left arm and grew up playing basketball and running in track, yet she had always competed against “able-bodied” athletes.
When Williams first heard about the Paralympics, she was finishing up her freshman year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Taleah Williams, a native of Norfolk, competed at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in long jump.
Joe Kusumoto, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
“I didn’t think it was fair for me to compete against people with disabilities,” Williams said. “But honestly, that was before I understood the sport more.”
Williams competed in her first Paralympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro as a long jumper. Since then, she has returned to both the Tokyo and now Paris games. This year, she earned sixth place.
The past eight years have helped Williams improve her own self-confidence. For most of her life, Williams said she was shy, reserved and avoided talking about her arm. She wouldn’t share photos of her arm on social media either.
Taleah Williams, a native of Norfolk, competed at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in long jump.
Joe Kusumoto, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
“Being around all these people with different disabilities and seeing how comfortable they are with themselves, it just kind of inspired me to do the same,” Williams said.
She hopes the support continues around the games to help younger kids who are up and coming within sports and have disabilities.
Noelle Lambert (left) and Taleah Williams at the 2024 Paris Paralympics opening ceremony.
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, COURTESY PHOTO
“I just think it’ll help maybe a little girl like me become more confident and comfortable with herself before I was able to,” Williams said. “I just think if I was able to see these kinds of things before I did, it would’ve helped kick-start me a little bit of that confidence in everything.”
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Sports Week in Pictures: Capturing the drama at the Paralympic Games
Athletes Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Nantenin Keita, Fabien Lamirault, Alexis Hanquinquant and Elodie Lorandi hold up their torches after lighting the cauldron at the Paralympics Opening Ceremony in Paris, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Christophe Ena
Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez winces at a close ball after pulling back from a bunt attempt against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Lindsey Wasson
Whitney Bogart dives to catch the ball during during the Women’s preliminary round Goalball game against France at the 2024 Paralympics, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Christophe Ena
Paralympic athlete Araujo dos Santos, of Brazil, spits water to celebrate his victory in the men’s 100-meter backstroke -S2 final, at the 2024 Paralympics, in Paris, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio Morenatti
Maxi Copello and Karu Terenzio from Entre Rios, Argentina, dance during the salon category finals of the World Tango Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Natacha Pisarenko
Atlanta Braves’ Jarred Kelenic, left, touches home plate to score off a fielder’s choice hit by teammate Matt Olson during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Abbie Parr
Lindenwood defensive back Tre Bell breaks up a pass intended for Kansas wide receiver Quentin Skinner during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Charlie Riedel
Paralympic athletes compete at Women’s 5000m – T54 round 1, at the Stade de France stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio Morenatti
Jack O’Neil from the U.S. competes in the men’s 100 m. backstroke swimming competition during the 2024 Paralympics, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Michel Euler
Paralympic athlete Arjola Dedaj, of Italy, competes at Women’s Long Jump -T11, in the Stade de France stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio Morenatti
Beatriz Hatz, of the U.S., competes at Women’s Long Jump -T64 final at the Stade de France stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio Morenatti
Mexico’s Montserrat Saldivar celebrates scoring her side’s second goal against Cameroon during a U-20 Women’s World Cup soccer match in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fernando Vergara
New Zealand’s Caleb Clarke runs to score a try during a rugby championship test match between South Africa and New Zealand at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Themba Hadebe
Seattle Mariners right fielder Victor Robles walks back to the dugout after the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Ashley Landis
Camila Muller, of Brasil, left, competes in the Women’s 1500 -T11 at the Stade de France stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Emilio Morenatti
Spain’s rider Marc Marquez of the Gresini Racing MotoGP celebrates in front of fans after winning the MotoGP Aragon Motorcycle Grand Prix at the MotorLand Aragon circuit, in Alcaniz, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Jose Breton
Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, left, and Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell, center, fight for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace, at the Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Frank Augstein
Scottie Scheffler holds his son Bennett Ezra Scheffler as his wife Meredith Scudder looks on the 18th green after Scheffler won the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Mike Stewart
Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts after losing to Emma Navarro, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 1, in New York. 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Pamela Smith
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) works to the basket against Dallas Wings guard Sevgi Uzun (1) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Tony Gutierrez
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
Pablo Garcia
Corinthians fans cheer in the stands of the Neo Quimica arena during a Brazilian soccer league match between Corinthians and Flamengo in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. The arena is set to host an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Andre Penner
Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts after defeating Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Seth Wenig
Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or [email protected]. On Twitter @ajohnson6170
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