Rebecca Murray facts for kids
![]() Murray at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Rebecca Marie Murray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname(s) | Becca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA |
March 15, 1990 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Wheelchair basketball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disability class | 2.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Christina Schwab | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Rebecca Marie Murray (born March 15, 1990) is an amazing American wheelchair basketball player. She is a key member of the United States women's national wheelchair basketball team. Rebecca has won many gold medals, including three at the Parapan American Games in 2007, 2011, and 2023. She also earned gold medals at the IWBF World Championship in 2010 and the U25 World Championship in 2011.
Contents
Rebecca's Early Life and Start in Sports
Rebecca Murray was born on March 15, 1990, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was born with a condition called spina bifida, which meant she couldn't move her legs. But this didn't stop her!
Rebecca started playing wheelchair basketball when she was just six years old. An organization called IndependenceFirst helped her get involved. She loved the sport and kept playing. By the age of 12, she joined a team called the Milwaukee Wizards. She also attended a wheelchair basketball camp at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
Rebecca finished high school at Germantown High in 2008. After that, she went to the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. There, she studied special education, which is about helping students with special needs.
Rebecca's Amazing Career in Wheelchair Basketball
Rebecca Murray made her big debut at the Summer Paralympic Games when she was 18. This was at the 2008 Summer Paralympics. She helped the United States women's national wheelchair basketball team win a gold medal!
After that, she continued to win. She earned a gold medal at the IWBF World Championships in 2010. Then, in 2011, she won another gold at the Parapan American Games.
Leading the Team to Gold in 2016
At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Rebecca was a top scorer. She scored 31 points in the semi-final game against Great Britain. Then, in the gold medal game against Germany, she scored an incredible 33 points! Her amazing play helped her team win the gold medal. Because of her performance, she was a finalist for Team USA's Female Athlete of the Paralympic Games award.
After the 2016 Games, Rebecca took a break from playing. But she came back to try out for the 2020 Summer Paralympics. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to step away from the sport before those Games.
Recent Achievements and the Road to Paris
Rebecca returned to competition and represented the United States at the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships. Her team won a bronze medal there!
In November 2023, she played at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Her team won another gold medal in the wheelchair basketball tournament. This win was very important because it meant the team automatically qualified for the 2024 Summer Paralympics. On March 30, 2024, Rebecca was officially named to Team USA's roster for the 2024 Summer Paralympics, where she helped her team win a silver medal!