Paralympic Gold Medalist Ann Cody to Speak

Cody, a Paralympic gold medalist and member of the U.S. Wheelchair Sports Hall of Fame, will talk about her life and sports career. She will also address the paralympic movement and its importance to the sports world as well as the plight of individuals with disabilities in the United States and abroad.

Cody, a recipient of the Congressional Award from the National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities, was a member of the U.S. Paralympic Team in wheelchair basketball in 1984. She represented the United States again in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, winning silver medals in several events. She was named Wheelchair Sports USA Athlete of the Year and USA Track and Field Disabled Athlete of the Year in 1990. At the Barcelona Paralympics in 1992, she won a bronze medal for the 10,000-meter event, and set a world record and received a gold medal for the 4 x 100 meter relay.

She is a member of the International Paralympic Committee's governing board and director of policy and global outreach for BlazeSports America, which is based in Decatur, Ga. Cody, who has also worked as a recreational therapist, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The program is free and open to the public. A light reception will follow. For more information or to request disability accommodations, call 202-319-5211. For information about other Disability Awareness Month events, click here .