Jan Little
1984
Jan was among a small and pioneering group of women wheelchair athletes who displayed exceptional skill and determination during the early years of organized competition. Her athletic excellence helped inspire event organizers to expand opportunities for women with quadriplegia and paraplegia, leading to the creation of more events and classifications for women in adaptive sports.
Through her performance and leadership, Jan and her peers demonstrated such high levels of ability and sportsmanship that they directly contributed to the influx of women competitors across all events and classes in the years that followed.
While still competing, Jan also served as an unofficial press officer at both national and international competitions—reporting, photographing, and interviewing athletes to promote the virtues and achievements of wheelchair sports to the broader public.
Jan was introduced to wheelchair sports as a student at the University of Illinois in 1957 and continued her athletic career until 1966. She was among a small group of pioneering female athletes who, in 1962, toured South Africa and Rhodesia under the United States International Aid (USIA) People to People program, demonstrating wheelchair sports and helping to launch adaptive sports programs in those countries.
A medal winner at both national and international competitions, Jan competed in swimming, archery, and table tennis, and held a national record in Women’s Class IB swimming.
Beyond her medals and records, Jan’s enduring impact lies in her advocacy and ambassadorship, which paved the way for generations of women athletes to participate and excel in wheelchair sports.