Colorado sent 11 athletes to compete in the Paris Paralympics, and about half of them will return home with a medal.
The Paralympics brought in more than 4,000 athletes from around the world, and they competed in nearly 550 events. The competitions spanned from Aug. 28 through Sept. 8.
In total, Colorado athletes won 11 medals, with a couple people bringing home more than one.
This is how the athletes with Colorado ties fared in the Games:
Elizabeth Marks, an active duty U.S. Army medic out of Colorado Springs, secured the silver medal in her first race at the Paralympics. She set a new American record and a personal best in the 50-meter freestyle S6 in a time of 32.90 seconds.
She went on to win a total of five silver medals. In addition to the 50-meter freestyle S6, she placed second in the 200-meter IM S6, mixed 4 x 50-meter freestyle relay, mixed 4 x 50-meter medley relay and 100-meter backstroke.
Morgan Stickney, of Colorado Springs, will bring two medals back home with her. She won gold in the women's 400-meter freestyle S7 and silver in the 100-meter freestyle S7. She also came in seventh for the 200-meter individual medley SM7.
"Very few people know the hell I’ve been through especially after spending a third of this last year in the hospital," she posted on Instagram. "It’s truly just a miracle to be here in Paris representing Team USA. If there’s anything someone can learn from my journey, I hope it’s that you should never let anything get in the way of your dreams and when faced with the unimaginable in life keeping fighting because I promise you it will be worth it."
Jack O'Neil, a fellow para swimmer living in Colorado Springs, placed fifth in the men's 100-meter backstroke S8.
"While I may have only raced for a single minute, the years and people that have gone into that moment are just as important as the moment itself," he posted on Instagram. "My story isn’t finished!"
Eric Newby, of Bailey, and Josh O'Neill, of Colorado Springs, helped bring home the silver medal alongside their teammates on the USA Wheelchair Rugby team. They fell to Team Japan in the final, with a score of 41-48. This silver medal marked the seventh-straight podium performance for USA Wheelchair Rugby, according to the team. They earned bronze in London and Athens, silver in Tokyo and Rio, and gold in Atlanta, Sydney and Beijing.
"Giving a huge part of yourself for 10+ years to a goal and coming up short is painful," O'Neill wrote on Instagram. "The goal was and will always be gold. Silver is an amazing achievement with all the things this team has been thru over the last few years and I love everyone @usawr and wouldn't trade them for anything!"
Beatriz Hatz, of Lakewood, won the bronze medal in the women's long jump T64, jumping 5.38 meters. She placed fifth in the 200-meter T64.
"It was so real at that moment when they handed me the flag," she told Team USA in a post-long jump interview.
Triathlete Hailey Danz, of Colorado Springs, came away with the gold medal in the women's PTS2. It is her third Paralympic medal, but her first gold. She finished in 1:14.31.
"It's gonna take a bit to sink in – I’ve wanted this for so long,” Danz told Team USA. “I have been fighting it for so long. There have just been so many setbacks and challenges along the way. The voice of doubt was really loud the last couple of months."
Her fellow triathletes also placed high in the competitions: Melissa Stockwell, of Colorado Springs, placed fifth in PTS2. Kyle Coon, of Carbondale, placed eighth in the PTVI in the men's race. Triathlete Howie Sanborn, of Denver, placed ninth in the men's PTHC.
In Paralympic fencing, Jataya Taylor, of Aurora, placed sixth in the team foil, 11th in the team epee, and 15th in the individual epee A.
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