Emelia Perry

Started: She began competing in Para triathlon in 2022. (varlosports.com, 01 Jun 2022) Reason: She competed in athletics as a sprinter at high school in Osaka, Japan, and took up long-distance and cross-country running after she relocated to the United States of America. After her injury, her physiotherapist told her about wheelchair racing, which got her involved in Para sport. "When I started doing wheelchair races, I got to meet people who've been in wheelchairs for decades. Many of them have a family, and they get to race and do much of what they want. That kind of showed me that being in a wheelchair doesn't mean that you're not happy." (varlosports.com, 20 Nov 2023, 01 Jun 2022; realwomanonline.com, 05 Oct 2022) Additional Info: EARLY YEARS IN JAPAN Born in Philadelphia, PA, United States of America, she moved to Osaka, Japan, with her family as a baby. In 2011 she returned to the United States of America. "My dad wanted us [she and her older sister Mariko] to go to America for college so we had the chance to see both countries before deciding where we wanted to live." (realwomanonline.com, 05 Oct 2022) FURTHER EDUCATION She has a master's degree in occupational therapy from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, United States of America. She began the course in 2019, two years after sustaining her injury. "People who have gone through that kind of trauma need that kind of help. I know that first-hand." (realwomanonline.com, 05 Oct 2022; LinkedIn profile, 2021)