Emily Oberst was diagnosed with bone cancer when she was in eighth grade, which required surgery on her left leg. Sports was her life and basketball was her favorite sport. Eventually, she started playing wheelchair basketball for a local NWBA program in Milwaukee. She was recruited to play at the collegiate level for the University of Alabama but would transfer to the University of Illinois and studied sports management. Emily started playing for the women’s national team in 2017, but took a few years off to focus on her career. She tried out again in 2021 and was able to win a silver medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.