Wilmington High School graduate Katie Walker will take part in the 7th Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
Walker, a 2005 graduate of WHS, is a member of the U.S. Para Cycling team.
She will compete Thursday and Friday in the 500-meter time trial and the 3,000-meter individual pursuit events.
The women’s C1-5 500-meter time trial final will be 1:30 p.m. Nov 23.
The women’s C4-5 3,000-meter individual pursuit qualification event is 1:30 p.m. Nov. 24 with the bronze medal race Nov. 24 at 5:05 p.m. The gold medal race is 5:15 p.m. Nov. 24.
Kristen Gowdy, press officer for U.S. Paralympics Cycling, said events in the ParaPanam Games will be livestreamed on the Pan American Sports Channel (www.panamsportschannel.org) but a schedule has not been released.
Born in Taiwan missing her left arm just below the elbow, Walker was abandoned shortly after birth and then was adopted by Laurie Joseph and the late Wayne Walker. She has two brothers, Keith and Patrick.
Walker was active in softball and basketball growing up and played both at WHS. She played softball in college.
In 2013, she discovered Paralympics and competed in Para track and field from 2013-2016.
In 2020, a friend introduced Walker to the velodrome and she discovered track cycling was a Paralympic sport and decided to try it out.
In 2021, she was invited to a U.S. Paralympics Cycling Virtual Talent ID Camp before making the U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Team in 2022.
Walker was sixth on the track in the time trial in 2023 and sixth in team sprint. In 2022, she was fifth in time trial.
