Deja
Young

Paralympian 2016, 2020

2
GOLD

0
SILVER

1
BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

Height

5'6"

Age

Hometown

Mesquite, TX

Education

Wichita State University

Classification: T46

Career Highlights

Named Tournament MVP of the inaugural 3x3 2021 Big Twelve International event in Voiron, France, where the USA women finished first with a 6-1 record
Is 18-2 all-time while representing Team USA five-on-five and 3x3 national teams, including exhibition games
Competed in the USA National Team's four-game NCAA tour in November 2019; aided the USA to a 3-1 slate and averaged 5.5 ppg
Participated in the 2018 USA World Cup Team training camp and helped the USA to a 2-0 exhibition recWorld Championship Experience
- Most recent: 2019 – gold (200-meter), silver (100-meter)
- Years of Participation: 2015, 2017, 2019
- Medals: 6 (4 gold, 2 silver)
- Gold – 2019 (200-meter); 2017 (100-meter, 200-meter); 2015 (100-meter)
- Silver – 2019 (100-meter); 2015 (200-meter)

Personal:

Born with brachial plexus that caused nerve damage and limited mobility to her right shoulder, Young has excelled with her unique running form...A standout on her high school track team, she lettered all four years while also competing in volleyball and softball...Despite her success, she received a lot of resistance from recruiters and college coaches because of her disability...She earned a track scholarship to Wichita State University where she earned All-Conference recognition...It was at a college meet that she learned about Paralympic track and field, a path that would lead her to her first Paralympic titles at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016...Daughter of Don and Delores Young...Has an younger sister, Dyani...Hobbies include drawing and writing...Idol is U.S. Olympic sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner...Served as an athlete mentor as part of the Sports Envoy Program of the U.S. State Department to Nigeria in 2018.

Paralympic Experience

2-time Paralympian; 3-time Paralympic medalist (2 gold, 1 bronze)

Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, bronze (100m T47 - Women), 5th (200m T47 - Women)
Paralympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, gold (100m T47 - Women, 200m T47 - Women)

World Championships Experience

Most recent: 2019 – gold (200m T47 - Women, Universal Relay - Mixed), silver (100m T47 - Women)
Years of participation: 100m T47 - Women 2015, 2017, 2019; 200m T47 - Women 2015, 2017, 2019; Universal Relay - Mixed 2019
Medals: 7 (5 gold, 2 silver)

Gold – 2019 (200m T47 - Women, Universal Relay - Mixed); 2017 (100m T47 - Women, 200m T47 - Women); 2015 (100m T47 - Women)
Silver – 2019 (100m T47 - Women); 2015 (200m T47 - Women)