Wheelchair racing champion Jean Driscoll was born in the USA on November 18, 1966. More than any other female athlete in any division, she took first place eight times in the women’s wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon. Her triumphs in Boston included seven straight victories from 1990 to 1996. Driscoll competed in four summer Paralympic games and took home five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals overall in competitions ranging from the 200-meter dash to the marathon.
Driscoll, who was born with spina bifida, was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In high school, she started using a wheelchair, and she was active in many wheelchair sports. The University of Illinois persuaded her to play wheelchair basketball, and while she was there, she also joined the wheelchair track and field team. She participated in her first Paralympics in 1988, winning bronze in the 200- and 400-meter sprints as well as silver and gold in the 4×100- and 4×200-meter relays.
The Mariner of the Seas, the line’s then-newest ship, would have Jean Driscoll as its godmother, and she would be tasked with blessing the vessel before its inaugural voyage in November 2003, according to a statement released by Royal Caribbean International on September 23, 2003. She also developed into a motivational speaker and global supporter of people with disabilities.
Jean Driscoll Biography
- Real Name: Jean Driscoll
- Nickname: Jean
- Profession: American Wheelchair Racer
- First Paralympics: 1988
- Coach/Mentor: Marty Morse
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Jean Driscoll Physical Status
- Height: Not Known
- Weight: Not Known
- Eye color: Not Known
- Hair color: Not Known
Jean Driscoll’s Personal Life
- Date of Birth: November 18, 1966
- Place of Birth: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Country of Birth: United States
- School: Not Known
- College: University of Illinois
- Highest Educational Qualifications: Not Known
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Hobbies: Watching Movies and Listening to Music
Jean Driscoll Family
- Mother’s Name: Not Known
- Father’s Name: Not Known
- Siblings Name: Not Known
Jean Driscoll Achievements
- Driscoll competed in four summer Paralympic games and took home five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals overall in competitions ranging from the 200-meter run to the marathon.
- In 1989, she defeated Candace Cable at the Lilac Bloomsday 12k in Spokane, Washington, to earn her first significant victory in competitive racing.
- Driscoll participated in four events at the 1992 Paralympics, winning gold in the 4100-metre relay.
- She was admitted to the American Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.
- Driscoll became the person with the most victories at Boston in 2000 after winning for the eighth and final time.
Here are some lesser-known facts about Jean Driscoll
- The College of Design at North Carolina State University has Driscoll as its Executive Director of Development.
- In high school, she started using a wheelchair, and she started participating in several wheelchair sports.
- Driscoll has sponsored programming for disabled athletes by visiting Ghana, West Africa, on multiple occasions and working to create the first-ever Paralympic athletes from that nation.
- Her unbeaten streak came to an end in 1997 when Sauvage won the race after she crashed after her racing chair’s wheel became stuck in a trolley track.
