For Para Judoka Ben Goodrich, Parapan Ams Flag Bearer Nod Is Both ‘Humbling’ And ‘Exciting’
The 2020 Paralympic silver medalist has been balancing his training with preparing for the birth of his first child.
Athlete Bio
Team USA
Height
5'11"
Hometown
St. Paul, MN
Education
University of Minnesota
classification: J2
Personal
Competed in wrestling, track and field and football in high school, but excelled in wrestling where he was named the team MVP as a senior, totaling a 35-3 record that season.
Introduced to judo through a physical education class at the University of Minnesota as a freshman in 2011.
- Earned degrees in finance and accounting from the University of Minnesota, worked as a sales tax technician for the City of Colorado Springs while training for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Made his first international team in 2013
- Resides in Sweden where he trains along with his wife, Nicolina Pernheim.
Paralympic Experience
- Two-time Paralympian; one-time Paralympic medalist (1 silver)
- Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, silver (men's -100 kg.)
- Paralympic Games Rio 2016
Career Highlights
- Parapan American Games Lima 2019, silver medal
- Three-time Pan American Championships medalist
- Three-time Judo Grand Prix medalist
- 2013 Youth World Championships, gold medal