Susan Hagel
1989
Susan Hagel was one of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in wheelchair sports history, excelling in both archery and basketball over an extraordinary two-decade career. From 1973 to 1993, she was the National Women’s Wheelchair Archery Champion, establishing a record of excellence unmatched in her era.
Susan represented Team USA in multiple international competitions, beginning with the 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto, Canada, where she captured a gold medal in archery and also competed as a member of the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team. Two years later, at the 1978 Pan American Wheelchair Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she earned silver medals in both archery and basketball.
Her success continued at the 1984 Paralympic Games in Stoke Mandeville, England, where she won gold in archery and silver in basketball, followed by another gold medal and new Pan American record in archery at the 1986 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico.
Susan was also a pioneer and leader in women’s wheelchair basketball, helping shape the sport’s global rise. She was a member of the first U.S. women’s gold medal wheelchair basketball teams, earning victories at the 1982 Pan American Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Her leadership culminated in 1991, when she served as captain of the U.S. Women’s Gold Medal Basketball Team at the Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela.
Beyond her athletic achievements, Susan was a dedicated advocate and leader in the adaptive sports community. She served on numerous committees, including the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Hall of Fame Committee, Wheelchair Archery USA, the National Wheelchair Athletic Committee, and the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission.
Through her extraordinary talent, leadership, and service, Susan Hagel not only brought home medals — she helped elevate women’s wheelchair sports to new levels of excellence and recognition worldwide.