Angela Madsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Angela Madsen

Madsen at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1960-05-10)May 10, 1960 Xenia, Ohio, U.S.
Died	June 21, 2020(2020-06-21) (aged 60) Pacific Ocean
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Athletics
Disability	Paraplegia
Disability class	TA (rowing) F56 (athletics)
Event(s)	shot put, javelin throw
Medal record Representing United States Track and field Paralympic Games Bronze 2012 London Shot put F54-56 Parapan American Games Gold 2015 Toronto Javelin throw F55/56 Silver 2011 Guadalajara Shot put F54/55/56 Silver 2015 Toronto Shot put F56/57 Rowing World Rowing Championships Gold 2003 Milan Double sculls – TA Gold 2004 Banyoles Double sculls – TA Gold 2005 Kaizu Double sculls – TA Silver 2002 Sevile Single sculls – TA

Angela Madsen (May 10, 1960 – June 21, 2020) was an amazing American athlete. She competed in the Paralympic Games in both rowing and track and field. Angela had a long and successful career. She started with competitive rowing and then took on big ocean challenges. Later, in 2011, she switched to athletics. She won a bronze medal in the shot put at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. Angela and her teammate Helen Taylor were the first women to row across the Indian Ocean. She passed away in June 2020 while trying to row alone from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Early Life and Education

Angela Madsen was born in Xenia, Ohio, on May 10, 1960. She went to Fairborn Baker High School in Fairborn, Ohio.

Military Career

Many of Angela's family members were in the military. When her brothers joked that she "couldn't make it as a Marine," it made her even more determined. She joined the Marines. After her training, the Marine Corps helped her and her daughter. She trained to be a military police officer. Her first job was at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California. There, she joined the women's basketball team. She was a great player and was even scouted for the main women's Marine Corps team.

Spinal Injury and Recovery

In 1980, during a Marine Corps basketball practice, Angela fell. Another player accidentally stepped on her back. This caused a serious injury to her spine. After surgery, she had an injury to her spinal cord. This meant she could no longer use her legs. This condition is called paraplegia.

After her injury, Angela faced many challenges. She found herself without a home. Her life changed a lot.

Paralympic Career

Angela's life began to improve when she discovered wheelchair basketball. She attended a National Veterans Games event. This helped her get involved in sports again. She started to rebuild her life. A key moment in her recovery happened after she fell onto subway tracks. This made her realize she wanted to live her life to the fullest. She later wrote a book about her experiences called Rowing Against the Wind. It was published in 2014.

Rowing Achievements

Angela learned about rowing when a sponsor for her wheelchair basketball team invited her to try it. She quickly found she was very good at it. She liked that she didn't need her wheelchair to participate. In 2002, adaptive rowing was added to the World Rowing Championships. Angela was chosen to compete. She won a silver medal in the single sculls. For the next three years, she won gold medals in the doubles sculls at every World Championship.

Besides competitive rowing, Angela loved ocean-rowing. She started rowing between Newport, California, and Dana Point. She even entered 20-mile races. She was inspired by Tori Murden, the first American to row the Atlantic alone. Angela then took on many ocean journeys herself. In 2007, she became the first woman with a disability to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Two years later, she and Helen Taylor became the first two women to row across the Indian Ocean. Angela was also part of a team that rowed all the way around Great Britain.

In 2008, Angela represented the United States at her first Summer Paralympics. She competed at the 2008 Games in Beijing in mixed double sculls.

Athletics Achievements

In 2011, Angela started competing in track and field as an F56 athlete. Her great results helped her qualify for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. She competed in the shot put and javelin throw. She placed fifth in the javelin. In the shot put, she threw 8.88 meters, which earned her a bronze medal!

Angela also competed for the United States at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships. In 2016, she set a new world record in the shot put. She threw 9.43 meters at the Boiling Point Track Classic in Canada. In July 2016, Angela was chosen for the US team for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. There, she finished eighth in the shot put and seventh in the javelin throw.

In November 2014, Angela received the Athletes in Excellence Award. This award recognized her community service and her work with young people. She held six Guinness World Records. She was trying to set another record when she passed away. She wanted to be the oldest woman and first paraplegic to row across the Pacific alone.

Personal Life

Angela Madsen lived in Long Beach, California. She passed away on June 21, 2020. She was nearly halfway through her solo row from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

See also

In Spanish: Angela Madsen para niños