Judy Benoit
1988
Judy Benoit discovered wheelchair sports while attending the University of Illinois in the early 1960s. As an undergraduate student, she trained with the swim team, track and field teams, and also competed in table tennis. She showcased her athletic range at the 1964 National Wheelchair Games, competing in all four sports, with swimming emerging as her strongest event.
In 1965, Judy earned a place on the U.S. Wheelchair Team that competed at the Stoke Mandeville Games in England, also participating in exhibition competitions in Spain and France. The following year, in 1966, she joined a demonstration team in Kingston, Jamaica, introducing wheelchair sports to the island nation for the very first time.
Judy continued to represent Team USA on the world stage, competing as a member of the U.S. Swim Team at the 1968 Paralympic Games in Tel Aviv, Israel, and again at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City.
Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Judy was a passionate advocate and mentor, joining a small but influential group of pioneering women who encouraged and trained their peers to get involved in adaptive sports. She served on the National Wheelchair Athletic Committee from the late 1960s through the 1980s as part of the Regional Sports Group Council, helping to shape the growth and governance of wheelchair athletics nationwide.
In 1974, Judy and fellow athlete Natalie Bacon co-founded the Hawaii Wheelchair Athletic Association, creating the state’s first wheelchair sports team. Three years later, in 1977, Judy relocated to California, where she joined the Far West Wheelchair Athletic Association and helped organize the XXI National Wheelchair Games. She played a key role in establishing and staffing the Association’s first office, strengthening its operational foundation.
Through her vision, leadership, and lifelong dedication, Judy Benoit not only excelled as an athlete but also helped build the organizational infrastructure of wheelchair sports across the United States. Her legacy as a pioneer, mentor, and builder of opportunity continues to empower athletes to this day.