Paralympic rower Emma Preuschl wins silver medal in Beijing, China

By John Shaughnessy

As soon as her team’s boat crossed the finish line, United States’ rower Emma Preuschl raised her arms in the air, the joy flowing through her.

A member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Indianapolis, Preuschl and her four teammates earned a silver medal in the 2008 Paralympic Games, the equivalent of the Olympic Games for people who have physical disabilities.

“As we crossed the finish line, I had to double check that the race was over and I was still conscious,” Preuschl, 23, said. “I glanced around and immediately flailed my arms in the air because I knew I was a champion. I would have to say it was the most exhilarating feeling to be a winner. As I gasped for air, I hugged my teammates and tears streamed down my cheeks. I had won a medal for the United States of America on Sept. 11—a very proud moment for me.”

Preuschl and her teammates won one of the first medals ever awarded in the sport of rowing in the Paralympics, which were held in Beijing, China, the same site as the Olympics. They finished second to a team from Italy.

A 2003 graduate of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Preuschl was eligible to compete in the Paralympic Games because of a physical disability she suffered when she was born. Doctors stretched her left arm while trying to deliver her, damaging the nerves that run from her neck to her hand. The daughter of Lynn and Kirk Preuschl eventually gained movement in her left arm, but it is five inches shorter than her right arm, with less mobility and strength.

Preuschl competed in an American boat that included her three fellow rowers and a coxswain, the person who directs the boat and the crew. One of her American rowing teammates is blind, another has a prosthetic leg and the third has cerebral palsy.

Preuschl’s silver medal matches the color of the medal earned by two female gymnasts from the archdiocese who competed in the Summer Olympics in August. Samantha Peszek and Bridget Sloan, both 16, were among the six members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. Samantha is a member of St. Simon the Apostle Parish in Indianapolis. Bridget is a member of St. Malachy Parish in Brownsburg.

They share the thrill of representing their country so well in international competition.

“I’m just so proud,” Preuschl said. “I will definitely be back at the London 2012 Paralympics.” †