Abby Dunkin facts for kids
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Dunkin in 2018
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | November 24, 1995 Rota, Andalusia, Spain |
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| Height | 5'10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wheelchair basketball | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | 3.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Women's team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Texas at Arlington | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Abigail "Abby" Dunkin (born November 24, 1995) is an amazing American wheelchair basketball player. She has won several gold medals. These include gold at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada. She also won gold at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her third gold was at the 2019 Women's U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Suphanburi, Thailand. Abby plays as a 3.5 point player in wheelchair basketball.
Contents
Abby Dunkin's Early Life
Abby Dunkin was born on November 24, 1995. Her birthplace was Rota, Andalusia, Spain. However, she considers New Braunfels, Texas, her hometown.
When Abby was 13, she was diagnosed with a condition. It was called complex regional pain syndrome. This condition caused her to feel unusual pain. She loved playing basketball and was a second degree black belt in martial arts. She kept playing sports even with the pain.
In February 2013, Abby went for treatment. She was told she might not play basketball again. On February 27, 2013, Abby woke up. She could not walk properly and needed a wheelchair. Her condition was later called neurocardiogenic syncope dysautonomia. This meant her body had trouble controlling things like heart rate and blood pressure. It also involved small fiber neuropathy, affecting nerve fibers.
Abby Dunkin's Sports Career
Abby Dunkin competed in track and field athletics in high school. She attended Comal Canyon High School. She won events like the wheelchair 100 meters and 400 meters. She also won in shot put.
Discovering Wheelchair Basketball
Abby found out about wheelchair basketball by watching videos. She saw the sport at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London on YouTube. She started training with military veterans. She also played with the San Antonio ParaSport Spurs team.
After six months, she was recruited by a university. The University of Texas at Arlington asked her to play. She joined their new Lady Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball team. The Lady Movin' Mavs won their first national title in 2016. They beat the University of Illinois team 65–51. This was at the National Wheelchair Basketball Association tournament.
National and Paralympic Success
In January 2015, Abby was invited to try out for the national team. She had only been with the Lady Movin' Mavs for a few months. She was chosen for the team. They won a gold medal at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
In 2016, Abby was part of the USA team. They competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. The team won a Paralympic gold medal. Abby continued to play with the Movin' Mavs. On March 17, 2018, they had a perfect season. They beat their rivals, the University of Alabama, 65–55. This win earned them the national championship.
World Championships and More Gold
In 2018, Abby was selected for the national team again. She was one of three students from UTA on the team. They played at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Hamburg, Germany. Team USA finished in sixth place.
On March 16, 2019, the Movin' Mavs played the University of Alabama again. It was the national championship final. This time, they lost 87–76 in extra time. In May 2019, Abby won another gold medal. This was with the U25 Women's team. They competed at the 2019 Women's U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Suphanburi, Thailand. Team USA defeated Australia in the final game, 62–25. Abby was chosen as one of the All-Star Five players. Her Movin' Mavs teammates Rose Hollermann and Annabelle Lindsay were also selected.
