Ann Walters-Thompson
Competition | 2021
Hometown: Weatogue, CT
School Name: University of Illinois
In 1985, as a member of the USA Ski Team, Ann was injured
in a skiing accident in Austria that left her paralyzed.
During her rehabilitation, she was introduced to wheelchair
sports and recreation and chose to enroll at the University
of Illinois the following fall semester. Ann developed as
a dual sport athlete in Illinois, excelling in Wheelchair
Track/Racing and Wheelchair Basketball. She competed in
Track events at the Paralympic Games in 1988 in Seoul,
Korea; in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain; and in 1996 in Atlanta. In
addition, Ann went on to become an integral member of
the Illinois Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team which
won a number of national championships for the Illini.
She also was part of the Team USA Women’s Wheelchair
Basketball that competed in the 2000 Paralympic Games
held in Sydney, Australia.
At the University of Illinois, Ann went on to complete her
Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Kinesiology. She also
directed the coach’s education program at Illinois and
served as the editor of the second edition of “How to
Plan and Organize a Wheelchair Road Race” while writing and presenting curriculum for an annual
wheelchair track and field workshop. She then turned to educating and coaching youngsters with
physical disabilities. Ann would become sports program manager for the Community Health and
Fitness Unit at the Hospital for Special Care in Connecticut, the agency that oversees the
Connecticut Cruisers Wheelchair Sports programming for junior athletes.
Ann would also become a faculty member at Springfield College in Springfield Massachusetts.
Her contributions to expanding sports and recreation opportunities to youngsters and adults with
disabilities continue to this day.
