LEWIS Jessica Cooper

Bermuda
Athletics
3 Apr 1993
28
Female
T53
PAGET
 
Bermuda
MISSISSAUGA, ON
 
Canada

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
ATH Athletics Women's 100m - T53 4
Women's 400m - T53  
Women's 800m - T53  

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Olympic Stadium - Track
Women's 800m - T53 Round 1 - Heat 2
Finished
Olympic Stadium - Track
Women's 100m - T53 Final
Finished
Olympic Stadium - Track
Women's 400m - T53 Round 1 - Heat 2
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:
RankEventYearLocationResult
Paralympic Games
6100m - T532016Rio de Janeiro, BRA17.25
8100m - T532012London, GBR19.38
8Women's 200m T532012London, GBR34.76
8400m - T532012London, GBR1:08.88
11400m - T532016Rio de Janeiro, BRA1:00.25
11800m - T532016Rio de Janeiro, BRA1:58.24
World Championships
3100m - T532015Doha, QAT17.40
4100m - T532019Dubai, UAE16.84
4Women's 200m T532017London, GBR30.47
4Women's 200m T532015Doha, QAT31.58
5100m - T532017London, GBR17.40
7400m - T532017London, GBR1:01.12
8400m - T532019Dubai, UAE1:03.83
8100m - T532013Lyon, FRA19.17
9800m - T532019Dubai, UAE2:05.38
9800m - T532017London, GBR2:06.86
9400m - T532015Doha, QAT1:04.47
9Women's 200m T532013Lyon, FRA33.95
9400m - T532013Lyon, FRA1:04.78
11800m - T532015Doha, QAT2:03.40
:
Reading, sewing, knitting, shopping. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019)
:
Athlete
:
Physiotherapy, Sport and Recreation Studies - Brock University, Canada
:
English
:
Cruisers Sports [Brampton, ON, CAN]
:
Curtis Thom [personal], CAN
:
Her mother Lorri served as Bermuda's chef de mission at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, ON, Canada. (paralympic.org, 06 Aug 2015)
:
2011 for Bermuda, Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019)
:
She bruised her ribs on the right side of her body after crashing during a training camp with the Canadian team in February 2018. (jessicalewisbda.com, 22 Apr 2018)
:
She was introduced to wheelchair racing at age 13 by Canadian coach Ken Thom in Bermuda. She began training in 2010. (Athlete, 21 Oct 2015, 11 Nov 2019)
:
"I have always loved different sports. We had an expo in Bermuda which involved many different sports. I considered team sports, but as there are not many people with a disability playing sports in Bermuda, I felt I had to go for an individual sport. When I was introduced to wheelchair racing in 2006 I instantly fell in love with it." (paralympic.org, 12 Nov 2011; Athlete, 11 Nov 2019)
:
To win a Paralympic medal. (Athlete, 21 Aug 2021)
:
Winning gold in the T53 100m at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, ON, Canada, and bronze in the T53 100m at the 2015 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019, 21 Aug 2021)
:
US wheelchair racer Anjali Forber-Pratt, Canadian wheelchair racer Curtis Thom. (Athlete, 13 Jul 2017, 21 Aug 2021)
:
Canadian wheelchair racer Curtis Thom. (Athlete, 21 Aug 2021)
:
"I never match my socks. I always wear mix-match crazy patterned socks." (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019)
:
"Desire, dream, vision." (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019)
:
She was named Female Athlete of the Year for 2019 at the Government of Bermuda's Annual Sports Awards. (Facebook profile, 10 Jul 2020; islandstats.com, 05 Jan 2021)

She was Bermuda's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the 2011 Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, and the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 06 Sep 2016; bernews.com, 10 Sep 2012; paralympic.org, 12 Nov 2011)

General Interest

Classification
T53 (IPC, 11 Mar 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (Athlete, 13 Jul 2017)

Origin of Impairment
Congenital (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019)

Impairment Details
At birth she was diagnosed with diastematomyelia, which caused her spinal cord to split and resulted in paraplegia. She also has chronic back neuropathy, which causes constant discomfort in her back. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019; islandstats.com, 21 Aug 2012)

General
COACH TRIBUTE
She dedicated her medals at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, to her late coach Ken Thom, who died in a scuba diving accident in 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. She is coached by Ken's son Curtis. "It's been tough not having Ken with us as [the 2019 Parapan American Games] was the first big competition without him, but I'm doing all of this now in his honour. I'm so thankful to my coach Curtis Thom for getting me to this point. I could never explain just how grateful I am to him for stepping in after the loss of his dad and my previous coach Ken." (royalgazette.com, 30 Aug 2019; Buzz 505 YouTube channel, 11 Jan 2021)

GLOVE CHANGE
She attributed winning gold in the T53 400m at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, to changing the kind of gloves she wears for the 400m. "I have transitioned into using the hard gloves which have definitely helped me get stronger in the longer-distance events. I had the best start I have ever had in these gloves, so everything just came together for the race." (caribbeannationalweekly.com, 27 Aug 2019)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2020 she was elected to serve as an athlete representative on the board of the Bermuda Paralympic Association. "I am really excited to be filling this role and am grateful for everything the board is doing to help keep Para sport alive and moving forward here in Bermuda." (islandstats.com, 05 Jan 2021)

Legend
:
Gold Medal Event
:
Silver Medal Event
:
Bronze Medal Event
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos