is a Japanese

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

, described as "one of the world’s best Paralympic athletes" by the

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...

. ''

Japan Today ''Japan Today'' is a website that publishes wire articles, press releases, and photographs, as well as opinion and contract pieces, such as company profiles, in English. References External links * 2000 establishments in Japan English- ...

'' has described her as a "swimming sensation perhaps as great as the Thorpedo but whose name few know". She has won 15

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

s at the

Paralympics The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...

, and 20 total. Narita has used a wheelchair because of

myelitis Myelitis is inflammation of the spinal cord which can disrupt the normal responses from the brain to the rest of the body, and from the rest of the body to the brain. Inflammation in the spinal cord can cause the myelin and axon to be damaged re ...

since the age of 13; in 1994, additionally, she was involved in a traffic accident which left her

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of Motor control, motor and/or Sense, sensory function in the Cervical vertebrae, cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weak ...

. In 1996, she represented Japan at the

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, where she won two gold medals, two silver and one bronze. At the

2000 Summer Paralympics The 2000 Summer Paralympic Games or the XI Summer Paralympics were held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 18 and 29 October. The Sydney Paralympics was the last time that the Summer Paralympics were organized by two different Organ ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, she won six gold medals. She also set five world records at the Sydney Games. Narita competed again at the

2004 Summer Paralympics The 2004 Summer Paralympics (), the 12th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Athens, Greece, from 17 to 28 September ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, and was the Games' most successful athlete, of any nationality and in any sport. She set six world records, seven Paralympic records, and won seven gold medals and one bronze medal. In 2005, she was given the Best Female Athlete award by the International Paralympic Committee, the Best Male Athlete award going to Brazil's Clodoaldo Silva. Narita is currently vice chair of the Tokyo 2016 Athletes' Commission."Olympic Stars Enhance TOKYO 2016 Games Plan"
, press release, July 11, 2008

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Narita, Mayumi 1970 births Living people Sportspeople from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Swimmers from Kanagawa Prefecture Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Paralympic swimmers for Japan Paralympic gold medalists for Japan Paralympic silver medalists for Japan Paralympic bronze medalists for Japan World record holders in paralympic swimming Medalists at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Paralympic Sport Awards — Best Female winners Paralympic medalists in swimming Japanese female freestyle swimmers Japanese female backstroke swimmers Japanese female breaststroke swimmers Japanese female butterfly swimmers Japanese female medley swimmers S4-classified para swimmers S5-classified para swimmers 21st-century Japanese women Medalists at the 2018 Asian Para Games 20th-century Japanese sportswomen

See also

References

External links