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Alicia Guerrero

Female athlete wearing a blue shirt smiling at the camera holding green athletic shoes

Alicia Guerrero

At a young age I lost my leg to a lawnmower accident. Since then I have been in many sports. I am now currently playing wheelchair basketball and I throw shot put and discus.

Sports

  • Basketball,
  • Track and Field

City

  • Wapato

At two years old, Alicia Guerrero lost her leg to a lawnmower accident. Since then, she has played a lot of sports. “I used to do ballet, gymnastics, fast pitch, volleyball, and able-bodied basketball.

Currently, Guerrero is playing wheelchair basketball and throws shot put and discus. She is a state throwing champion and a state record holder in three events. At the 2019 Washington State Track and Field Championship, she placed 1st in Ambulatory Shot put,1st in Ambulatory Discus, 1st in Ambulatory Javelin, and 1st in the Ambulatory 100 meters.

At the Great Lakes Games in 2019, she also placed first in all throwing events for her age group. “It means the world to me. Joining adaptive sports have opened me up for more opportunities for athletes and for meeting amazing people,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero will be heading to the University of Illinois to play wheelchair basketball. She has also set some other future goals. “In athletics, I’d like to be on the U.S Track and Field Paralympic team for discus, and to continue to live an active life style. As for personal goals, I plan to graduate from college with a degree in biology and eventually become a prosthetist in order to help others.”

At times, her toughest challenge has been accepting herself. But began to accept that she has a disability and doesn’t want to hide that part of self. “I play basketball in a wheelchair, but I still play basketball. There’s other kids that play basketball. I may run with a running blade that’s huge, but I still run. I may throw a little bit more off balance than some kids, but I still throw,” she said.

Check out this recent interview by Jamie Council for SWX NBC affiliate:

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/sports/area_sports/alicia-guerrero-breaking-her-own-barriers/article_5582e0be-b202-11eb-bd17-d38a86a22d50.html.