NYRR Media Center

Jenna Fesemyer is a rising star in the wheelchair division; she had her best-ever finish at the TCS New York City Marathon last year, missing the podium by one spot. That concluded a year for her that also consisted of a third-place finish in Chicago and her Paralympic debut in Tokyo, where she was seventh in the 5,000 meters and also raced in the 1,500 meters and marathon.

In 2019, Fesemyer represented the U.S. at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, where she won gold in the 800 meters and silver in the 400 meters. That same year she was the runner-up at the Los Angeles Marathon and third at the London Marathon.

Fesemyer was born a triplet and without a left leg and hip socket because of a rare congenital disease called proximal femoral focal deficiency. She got involved in wheelchair racing in 2013 when the Ohio High School Athletic Association added wheelchair events to its state track meet. She also grew up playing basketball and golf with a prosthetic.