Jessica Lewis targets further glory
The T53 wheelchair racer is coming off a strong season with Parapan titles and a fourth place at the Worlds 05 Jan 2020Jessica Lewis has made history for Bermuda multiple times, most recently by winning two Parapan American Games titles at Lima 2019.
The 26-year-old has been the sole Para athletics representative of her country at World Championships and Paralympic Games since 2011. For Lewis, this is both an honour and a huge responsibility.
“I’m just so glad that I’m able to represent Bermuda. I am with my coach and my mom who is also the team manager, so it’s a really small team. It’s amazing to have their support,” said Lewis.
“It has been absolutely incredible to travel a lot because of this sport, see the world is also incredible. Be able to be kind of a trailblazer for such a small country and hopefully inspire other people to get in love with the sport means a lot to me.”
In 2019, Lewis ended fourth in the women's 100m T53 final at the Dubai 2019 World Championships.
Lima 2019: a dream come true
The Parapan American Games in Peru were special for Lewis not just because she won two golds and one silver but also due to the fact that Bermuda sent their biggest delegation to date.
She was joined by boccia players Yushae Desilva, Omar Hayward and Theophilus Wilson.
“Three Boccia players were in Lima, unfortunately, they weren’t at this competition, because obviously is a different discipline, I really hope that in the future we will have more racers representing Bermuda.”
After a break, Lewis will start a new season where she will compete in her third Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Her goal? To win Bermuda's first Paralympic gold medal.