Shea Cowart is an American sprinter. At age six she contracted

meningococcemia Meningococcal disease describes infections caused by the bacterium ''Neisseria meningitidis'' (also termed meningococcus). It has a high mortality rate if untreated but is vaccine-preventable. While best known as a cause of meningitis, it can al ...

, which resulted in both of her legs being amputated below the knee. 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 last time that the Summer Paralympics which were organized by two different ...

, she won a gold medal and broke the world record in the women's T44 class

100 m 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...

race, and won another gold in the T44

200 m The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightly ...

event.

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Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Paralympic track and field athletes for the United States Paralympic gold medalists for the United States American amputees Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American female sprinters Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) 20th-century American sportswomen {{US-Paralympic-medalist-stub