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Mackenzie Soldan

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Mackenzie Soldan
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born (1992-05-14) May 14, 1992 (age 32)
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Height5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
Medal record
Women's wheelchair tennis
Representing  United States
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara Women's singles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara Women's doubles
Women's wheelchair basketball
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Dubai Team

Mackenzie Soldan (born May 14, 1992) is an American wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis player.[1][2] She represented the United States at the 2011 Parapan American Games where she won two gold medals,[3][4] 2012 London Paralympics in wheelchair tennis[5] and 2016 Rio Paralympics in wheelchair basketball.[6][7] She has played for the U.S. women's wheelchair basketball team since 2013.[8]

Early life

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Soldan was born in Saginaw, Michigan.[8] She lost the use of her legs because of a spinal cord tumor at age 2.[2][9] At age 18 she graduated from Christian Academy of Louisville. When she was in high school, she was a top-ranked player in the Junior wheelchair tennis team. She was also the Women's division' number one player as well.[10] In 2010, due to her passion for basketball she was signed to the University of Alabama's wheelchair basketball team, where she earned another national number one rank.

Career

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In late October 2011, she got a phone call saying that she might be qualified for the Parapan American Games.[10] Soldan decided to go, and brought home 2 gold medals for singles and doubles.[2] Besides winning those medals she also carried an American flag which was given by her coach.[10]

She represented the United States at the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships and won a bronze medal.[11]

Personal life

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Soldan currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Besides sports, she plays the guitar and piano as a hobby. In 2007, she participated at the U.S. Under 19 Wheelchair Basketball Team and in 2011 won a gold medal in the U.S. Under 25 Team. The same year, Mackenzie was a member of Collegiate National Wheelchair Basketball Championship and represented University of Alabama there.[12] In 2016, she graduated with a master's degree in marketing.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Mackenzie Soldan: "Everyone was Cheering!"". PBS. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Meet the Athletes: Mackenzie Soldan". PBS. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  3. ^ Lemieux, Dave (July 11, 2016). "MI's Hunter & Soldan to RIO for Wheelchair BKB". MI Sport Online. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  4. ^ "UA student to play tennis in 2012 Para-Olympics". Alabama Media Group. December 6, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  5. ^ Clarke, Joe (June 8, 2016). "From The Hardcourt To The Hardwood: Mackenzie Soldan Vies For A Second Paralympic Games". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  6. ^ Journey, Rick (September 8, 2016). "Several Paralympians competing in Rio were trained in Alabama". WBRC. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  7. ^ "US women's wheelchair basketball team named for Rio". International Paralympic Committee. International Paralympic Committee (IPC). June 10, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "NWBA Athlete of the Week - Mackenzie Soldan". National Wheelchair Basketball Association. February 3, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  9. ^ McCarvel, Nicholas (September 11, 2010). "American Teenager Gets a Taste of the Wheelchair Competition". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c "Mackenzie Soldan to compete in Paralympics". The South East Outlook. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  11. ^ Goldberg, Steve (June 9, 2023). "U.S. Squads Enter Postponed Wheelchair Basketball Worlds With Medal Hopes". teamusa.org. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  12. ^ "Mackenzie Soldan". Team USA. United States Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
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