Jana

Shelfer

Quick Facts

• Born and raised in Belleville, Kansas
• Accepted a basketball scholarship to play wheelchair basketball at the University of Illinois
• Was a member of Delta Gamma and studied broadcast journalism
• Was the youngest athlete on the women's wheelchair basketball team for the Paralympic Games Atlanta 1996
• Was named to the NCAA First All–Tournament Team and awarded the Most Improved Player Award after the 1996 Games
• Was also awarded the Pamela Borelli and Family Leadership Achievement Award. The next year, she received the Fourth Year Award before graduating
• After the 2004 Paralympics, she moved to Orlando to work in media relations for Walt Disney World and at WMFE-FM
• Inducted into the USOPC Hall of Fame, Class of 2025

Biographical Information

The U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team won its first gold medal in 22 years at the Paralympic Games Athens 2004. Christina (Ripp) Schwab and Stephanie Wheeler went on to coach future national teams, Wheeler in 2016, and Schwab in 2024. Both are members of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Hall of Fame. Six members of the 2004 team (Emily Hoskins, Patty Cisneros Prevo, Carlee Hoffman-Schwarz, Wheeler, Schwab and Jennifer Warkins) returned to win gold again at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, marking the first back-to-back titles for the program. In 2004, the U.S. defeated five-time defending champion Canada in the semifinal and avenged a narrow group-stage loss to Australia with a 56–44 victory in the gold-medal game, setting the stage for continued success in future Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Experience

• Three-time Paralympian; two-time Paralympic medalist (1 gold, 1 bronze)
  • Paralympic Games Athens 2004, gold (Team - Women)
  • Paralympic Games Sydney 2000, 5th (Team - Women)
  • Paralympic Games Atlanta 1996, bronze (Team - Women)