Title
Recognize Mesquite's Deja Young for her career as a Paralympian.
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Deja Young is from Mesquite, Texas. She graduated from John Horn High School in 2014 and from Wichita State University in 2018, with a degree in social work. She has been on Team USA as a Paralympian competing in the 100-meter and 200-meter competitions and has earned multiple medals.
Born with brachial plexus that caused nerve damage and limited mobility to her right shoulder, Young has excelled with her unique running form. A standout on her high school track team, she lettered all four years while also competing in volleyball and softball. Despite her success, she received a lot of resistance from recruiters and college coaches because of her disability. She earned a track scholarship to Wichita State University where she earned All-Conference recognition. It was at a college meet that she learned about Paralympic track and field, a path that would lead her to her first Paralympic titles at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. Daughter of Don and Delores Young, she has a younger sister, Dyani. Hobbies include drawing and writing. Her idol is U.S. Olympic sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner. She served as an athlete mentor as part of the Sports Envoy Program of the U.S. State Department to Nigeria in 2018.
Her Paralympic experience includes:
* Two-time Paralympian (2016, 2020); Three-time Paralympic medalist (2 golds, 1 bronze)
* Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, bronze (100-meter), 5th (200-meter)
* Paralympic Games Rio 2016, gold (100-meter, 200-meter)
Her World Championship experience includes:
* Most recent: 2019 - gold (200-meter), silver (100-meter)
* Years of Participation: 2015, 2017, 2019
* Medals: 6 (4 gold, 2 silver)
* Gold - 2019 (200-meter); 2017 (100-meter, 200-meter); 2015 (100-meter)
* Silver - 2019 (100-meter); 2015 (200-meter)
Deja has also decided to retire from competing but will still be involved in the sport as an athlete advisor on the athlete advisor committee for Tea...
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