David Williamson
1982
David Williamson was an active wheelchair athlete from 1963 to 1983, representing the United States in eighteen different countries. Over the course of his remarkable twenty-year career, he earned a record forty-two gold medals in the Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, and other international competitions.
David competed in multiple disciplines, including the pentathlon, field events (shot put, discus, javelin), basketball, swimming, and track. In national and regional competitions, he won over one hundred medals—gold, silver, and bronze—while breaking or setting numerous national and regional records. Impressively, David also established or broke eight world records during his career.
A true pioneer, David was among the first six athletes to compete in the wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon.
Beyond his athletic achievements, David served on the National Wheelchair Athletic Committee during the 1980s and contributed significantly to the organization, management, and officiating of sanctioned regional events across the country.
Adding to his many accomplishments, David also won the national wheelchair slalom event eight out of nine times.