With nearly a dozen marathon titles and a handful of Olympic medals under her belt, Susannah Scaroni is one of the most decorated wheelchair racers in the world. But her story has been anything but easy. 

At just 5 years old, Susannah and her family were involved in an accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. This incident, and the many others she’d come to face, only motivated her more to become the elite athlete she is today.

In this episode, Susannah sits down with host David Greene to talk about the sport of wheelchair racing, what it was like to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and the unexpected aftermath of the games that almost ended her racing career.

Content warning: This episode discusses eating disorders and recovery. Please listen with care. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders’ helpline or the ANAD helpline.

Show Notes

Show Credits

Executive Producers: Tom Grahsler and Joan Isabella

Senior Producer: Michael Olcott

Producer: Michaela Winberg

Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa

Engineer: Mike Villers

Tile Art: Bea Walling

Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.