Becca Murray: Paralympic hero shows anything is possible.

we need to be sure our libraries represent these athletes in the same way they represent any other sport.

A couple of football players admire Becca's gold medal from Rio! Click on the picture for a link to a newsvideo from the event

Some days you're lucky enough to meet a sports star!  This past Monday was proclaimed Becca Murray Day in the Germantown School District.  Murray was a 2008 Germantown High School grad who went on to become a member of the 2016 gold medal US Paralympic Basketball Team in Rio.  We were fortunate enough to have her speak at each school and show off her gold medal.  I can't begin to tell you how fantastic it was seeing all the big jocks of the school crowding around Murray for a chance to meet her and see the medal!  Confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida, Murray refused to make excuses and instead forged on competing in sports.  As a wheelchair basketball player at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, she was an NCAA champion, and eventually won a gold medal in Rio.  What an absolutely amazing girl!

Afterwards, when asked by a student if I had any books in the library on wheelchair basketball players or the Paralympics, I realized I had none.  This was embarrassing.   What's worse is the more I dove into researching some books to get, I was struck by the utter lack of material on paralympians.  Two things need to happen here.  First, we need to be sure our libraries represent these athletes in the same way they represent any other sport.  Second, we need more quality books about inspiring paralympic athletes like Becca Murray who work as hard and accomplish as great of feats as the stars.  Below are some titles that may provide a nice start for your collection.

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