Ryan ChalmersRyan Chalmers clinched a spot on Team USA, when he placed third in the 400, 800, 1500, and 5000 at the US Paralympic Trials in Indianapolis last weekend. Chalmers, a well-established wheelchair athlete with several international competitions under his belt, also qualified for the marathon event. He will now begin training with Team USA for the 2012 Paralympics in London this August.
Chalmers has been competing in wheelchair sports since the age of 8. A 2007 graduate of Churchville-Chili, Chalmers has trained for years with the Rochester Rookies Wheelchair and Ambulatory Sports Program and has won numerous awards in wheelchair basketball and track & field events. His athletic career has included Junior World competitions in Australia, South Africa, Ireland, and the US, as well as the 2011 World Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Chalmers recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he attended on a sports scholarship and won first place with his team in the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in 2010. Today, Chalmers serves as a mentor for other disabled athletes. He currently works with Stay Focused, a not-for-profit that uses SCUBA diving as a medium to empower disabled youth and teach leadership skills. Through Stay Focused, Chalmers has obtained Rescue Diver Certification, and he is currently pursuing Dive Master Certification.
Following the Paralympics, Chalmers will continue to focus on bringing awareness to the abilities of disabled athletes and is working on a significant initiative to give back to the disabled sports community.
