Canoe/Kayak

Alana

Nichols

Paralympian 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016

  • 3

    GOLD

  • 2

    SILVER

  • 1

    BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

Age

42

Hometown

Farmington, NM

Education

Farmington High School ‘01 University of Arizona '06, Special Education Rehab and School Psychology; University of Alabama '08, Kinesiology (Master’s)

Quick Facts
  • Alana Nichols is a three-sport phenomenon in wheelchair basketball, alpine skiing and paracanoe
  • She grew up in Farmington, N.M., and was an avid snowboarder throughout her youth. In 2002, however, Nichols landed back-first on a rock while attempting a backflip on her snowboard. The injury caused her to be paralyzed from the waist down
  • Nichols didn’t let her athletic career stop there, though, as she began playing wheelchair basketball just two years later and helping Team USA to win gold at the Paralympic Games Beijing 2008.
  • She is the first U.S. female Paralympian to win gold medals at a Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
Paralympic Experience
  • 5-time Paralympian; 6-time Paralympic medalist (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
    • Paralympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, 7th (Kayak single KL2 200m - Women)
    • Paralympic Games Sochi 2014, (Super-G - Sitting - Women), silver (Downhill - Sitting - Women), 4th (Giant Slalom - Sitting - Women)
    • Paralympic Games London 2012, 4th (Team - Women)
    • Paralympic Games Vancouver 2010, gold (Downhill - Sitting - Women, Giant Slalom - Sitting - Women), silver (Super-G - Sitting - Women), bronze (Super Combined - Sitting - Women), 8th (Slalom - Sitting - Women)
    • Paralympic Games Beijing 2008, gold (Team - Women)
World Championship Experience
  • Most recent: 2016 – 8th (Kayak single KL2 200m - Women)
  • Years of participation: Kayak single KL2 200m - Women 2015, 2016; Downhill - Sitting - Women 2011, 2013; Giant Slalom - Sitting - Women 2011, 2013; Slalom - Sitting - Women 2011, 2013; Super Combined - Sitting - Women 2011, 2013; Super-G - Sitting - Women 2011, 2013; Team - Women 2006
  • Medals: 5 (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
    • Gold – 2011 (Downhill - Sitting - Women, Super-G - Sitting - Women)
    • Silver – 2006 (Team - Women)
    • Bronze – 2011 (Giant Slalom - Sitting - Women, Slalom - Sitting - Women)

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