From magazine covers and marriages to award shows and dance shows, U.S. Paralympians have had an exciting year off the field. Take a look back at some of the best moments off the field of play from 2018.
Members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team visited the White House in April following the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
The 2018 Team USA Awards, presented by Dow, Best of the Games ceremony, was held in Washington, D.C. in April and recognized outstanding performances from American athletes, coaches and teams in eight categories.
Sled hockey gold medalists Luke McDermott and Jack Wallace drop the ceremonial first puck at Madison Square Garden prior to a New York Rangers game against the Buffalo Sabres in March.
Nordic skiers Jake Adicoff and six-time Paralympic medalist Dan Cnossen accompanied gold medalist hockey players Amanda Pelkey, Kacey Bellamy, Brianna Decker, and Meghan Duggan, silver medalist luge athlete Chris Mazdzer in throwing out the first pitch before the Red Sox home opening game at Fenway Park in April.
Three-time Paralympic champion Jeremy Campbell threw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks game in June ahead of the 2018 Desert Challenge Games.
Eight-time Paralympic medalist Oksana Masters became the second Paralympian ever honored as the Individual Sportswoman of the Year at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Women in Sports ceremony in New York City in October.
Eight U.S. Paralympians were nominated for the 2018 ESPY Awards, with snowboarders Mike Schultz and Brenna Huckaby winning the categories Best Male Athlete with a Disability and Best Female Athlete with a Disability. The awards were held in July in Los Angeles, California.
Three-time Paralympic medalist Danelle Umstead made history as the first visually impaired contestant on the 27th season of “Dancing with the Stars” which began in September. Umstead competed with professional dance partner Artem Chigvintsev as Team Blind Faith before being eliminated on the second week of the show.
Two-time Paralympic champion Brenna Huckaby became the first Paralympian to be featured on the cover of Parents Magazine with her daughter Lilah in the February edition.
Paralympian Amy Purdy rang the Closing Bell for the New York Stock Exchange in March following her two-medal performance at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
There were a number of engagements and marriages in 2018, including swimmer Jessica Long, snowboarders Brenna Huckaby and Mike Minor, cyclist Oz Sanchez and swimmer Elizabeth Marks.
