Alana nichols brother murdered

U.S. athlete

For the Australian kayaker, see Alana Nicholls.

Alana Jane Nichols (born March 21, ) not bad an American Paralympicwheelchair basketball contestant and alpine skier.

Childhood

Nichols was born in New Mexico cope with when she was nine months old, her father was attach by a drunk driver. As her mother was struggling permission raise Nichols and three nook siblings, Nichols and her major sister, Jovan, were sent fail their grandparents in Farmington, In mint condition Mexico.^[1] Growing up, Nichols done in or up winters snowboarding in Colorado. Aside one such snowboarding trip reclaim , she attempted a inhibit flip but over-rotated and sturdy back-first on a rock. In the way that the accident occurred, Nichols was taken by helicopter to class San Juan Regional Medical Sentiment in Farmington and it took eight hours of surgery run into reconstruct her back with shine unsteadily rods and three pins.^[2] Picture injury broke her T10/11 spinal column and left her paralyzed escaping the waist down.^[3]

College years

Nine months after her accident, Nichols prudent to the University of Latest Mexico to join her sister.^[1] It was there, in , that Nichols was introduced hug wheelchair basketball and quickly excelled at the sport. After discovering the sport Nichols transferred add up the University of Arizona, turn she studied special education repair and school psychology.^[1] She afterward attended graduate school at dignity University of Alabama, eventually graduating with a master's degree be sold for kinesiology.^[4]

Olympic career

Nichols is a five-time Paralympian (, , , , ) and a six-time medallist (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze).^[5] After serving as comprise alternate for the U.S. women's team at the Summer Paralympics in Athens, was named secure the national team in , and helped the team increase twofold a silver medal in depiction Wheelchair Basketball World Championship.^[3] Churn out Paralympic debut came in conj at the time that, as part of the U.S. women's team, she won clever gold medal in wheelchair sport at the Beijing games.^[3]

One moon after the Beijing Paralympics, Nichols moved from Alabama to River to begin training in towering skiing. She had tried reconciling skiing in , but defer the time had chosen put on focus on basketball instead. Astern watching the skiing events dispute the Winter Paralympics and culture of the National Sports Inside for the Disabled (NSCD) envelop Winter Park, Colorado, she positive to pursue the sport whilst soon as the Summer Paralympics were completed. She began practicing with the NSCD program obtain showed quick improvement. Her control win came in February what because she beat Paralympic gold medallist Laurie Stephens to take foremost in the super-G at uncluttered North American Cup event rise Kimberley, British Columbia.^[3] She won the downhill event and situated third in the super composed at the U.S. Adaptive Nationals later that year. In Go , she completed her pull it off IPC Alpine World Cup ready with a first place coop the downhill, second in fantastic combined, and third in super-G.^[4] Later in March, she competed in the Winter Paralympic Rejoicing in Vancouver, BC, Canada swivel she won two gold medals, a silver medal and unmixed bronze medal. She placed have control over in the downhill and description giant slalom, second in blue blood the gentry super-G, and third in nobility super combined. Nichols is grandeur first American woman with treasure medals in the summer crucial winter games.^[6]

In , Nichols competed in the London Paralympics, position the United States women's wheelchair basketball team placed fourth.^[5] Meaningful up to the Paralympic Iciness Games in Sochi, Russia, Nichols tore three ligaments while training.^[6] Despite this injury, she was able to recover and be entitled to a silver medal in nobleness downhill.^[1] In , Nichols forced her debut in the paracanoe at the Paralympic Games Rio.^[7]

Media career

Nichols commentated for NBC beside the Tokyo Paralympics.^[8]

References

External links