American wheelchair basketball player Emily Oberst won the U.S. Women’s U25 World Championship in 2019 and the Parapan American Games Santiago in 2023. She is also eligible to compete for the United States Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She is a talented Basketball Player
Emily Oberst will represent the US in the Paris Paralympics 2024
The National Wheelchair Basketball Association and the High-Performance Team Selection Committee have declared the final group of players for the 2024 United States Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team.
These choices were made after a selection camp held from March 27 to 31 at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Emily Oberst from Brookfield, Wisconsin, has been chosen to be part of this final group. She will be appearing at a Paralympic Games for the very first time.
Oberst helped the USA team win gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games and bronze at the 2022 IWBF World Championships. Additionally, she was a contributing member of the U.S. Women’s team that secured silver medals at the 2022 IWBF Americas Cup and the 2017 IWBF Americas Cup. The 2024 U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team consists of twelve main players and four substitutes. This team will represent the USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in Paris, France, from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
Emily Oberst’s Age, Family, and Early Years
Emily Oberst was born to her father Steve Obers and her mother Melissa Oberst. She has three brothers named Evan, Thomas, and John. While attending Brookfield Central High School as a senior, Emily was recruited to play basketball for the University of Alabama at age 17. Her hobbies included wakeboarding, skiing, golfing, cooking, and watching. Emily was very passionate about many things, especially sports. She played four different sports – basketball, golf, track and field, and softball. Her coach was Mareike Miller.
In the eighth grade, Emily’s life changed completely when she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left leg called Ewing’s Sarcoma. She needed surgery to replace her fibula bone with her tibia bone. Although Emily could still walk and run, she was not physically strong enough to keep doing it, so she transitioned to adaptive sports which were a better fit. Emily got a wheelchair and considered it her new pair of court shoes for playing.
Emily Oberst Becoming Cancer-Free and Starting Her Basketball Journey
In 2013, Emily became cancer-free. She started playing for the Varsity Junior Bucks wheelchair basketball team near her hometown of Brookfield, Wisconsin. When shifting from regular basketball to wheelchair basketball, Emily already knew a lot of the basic skills. Coaches said Emily had a very good shot and great court awareness, making it easier for her to play in the wheelchair. At 17 years old, the University of Alabama offered Emily a scholarship to play wheelchair basketball.
In 2014, Emily took part in her first U.S. Paralympic Development Training Camp. The following year in 2015, she was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Junior Bucks Team, which had both boys and girls. Emily was also the National Girls’ MVP that year and made the first-team Academic All-Conference in the Midwest Conference.
Also Read: Para Olympics: Who is Ali Ibanez? Age, Parents, Siblings, Disability, Wiki, Bio
In 2017, Oberst was a member of the squad that qualified for the 2017 IWBF America’s Cup, where they won the silver medal. The next year in 2018, she was part of the team for the 2018 IWBF World Championships. Oberst also helped the U.S. Women’s team qualify with their silver medal performance at the America’s Cup.
2019 was a great year for Emily Oberst. She secured a gold medal at the 2019 U.S. Women’s U25 World Championships. Additionally, she advanced past the first round of cuts for the U.S. Women’s National Team, moving closer to achieving her dream of competing in the Paralympics.
Oberst’s Recent Achievements and Her International Wins
In 2022, Emily Oberst played a crucial role in the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association (WASA) Lady Bucks’ victory at the 2022 NWBA Toyota Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Championship presented by ABC Medical. She scored an exceptional 28 points, earning her the title of Championship Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the tournament. This was the Lady Bucks’ first victory since 2019.
Oberst also helped Team USA earn a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships that year. Additionally, she assisted the U.S. Women’s team in winning the silver medal at the 2022 Americas Cup.
The following year in 2023, Oberst secured a gold medal at the Parapan American Games in Santiago. At the NWBA Women’s event, Emily finished with a game-high 20 points and had seven rebounds. Becca Murray scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Natalie Schneider recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Eagles maintained their streak of winning every game by 20 or more points, improving their record to 3-0.
What Happened to Emily Oberst and What Her Disability
Emily Oberst was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left leg while in high school. The type of cancer she had was called Ewing’s Sarcoma, which she was diagnosed with in the eighth grade. Ewing’s Sarcoma is a rare kind of bone cancer. It required Emily to have invasive surgery and go through nine months of chemotherapy treatment. Although she could still walk, her dream of becoming a professional basketball player in the regular leagues was no longer possible.
You may also Like: Rose Hollermann Age, Family, Parents, Brother, Wiki, Biography
Ewing sarcoma is a cancer that begins with abnormal cell growth in the bones and the soft tissue surrounding the bones. It mostly affects children and young adults but can occur at any age. This type of cancer often starts in the leg bones and pelvis area, but it can develop in any bone. Less commonly, Ewing sarcoma originates in the soft tissues of the chest, abdomen, arms, or other locations in the body.
