Cancer Survivor Emily Oberst Eyes Paralympic Gold in 2028

Emily Oberst believed her identity as an athlete died when doctors diagnosed her with rare bone cancer at age 12. After 17 rounds of chemotherapy and surgery that removed most of her left tibia, the Brookfield native thought running and jumping—the foundation of every sport she loved—were impossible dreams now.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Today, the 28-year-old Paralympic silver medalist is training for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, where she plans to bring home gold for Team USA in wheelchair basketball. Her next competition starts September 9 at the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation World Championships in Ottawa, Canada.

The path to Paralympic glory started with a firm "no." When wheelchair basketball coach Bob Anger contacted her mother after seeing Emily's story in the news, the high school junior wanted nothing to do with the sport. She had made her school's golf team and saw no reason to advertise her disability by sitting in a wheelchair.

Her mother convinced her to attend one practice just to politely decline in person. That single visit changed everything.

Oberst watched athletes race across the court with speed and precision, their powerful arms propelling chairs with the same intensity she once felt on the basketball court. The competition was fierce and the skill undeniable. She was instantly hooked.

The transition demanded completely new training. Oberst had never lifted weights before, but wheelchair basketball required massive upper body strength. Simple layups became airballs until she built the muscles and chair skills needed to compete at an elite level.

She trained on hills to build endurance and spent hours mastering the art of pushing, turning, stopping and changing direction at speed. The more time she spent in her chair, the more natural it became.

The work paid off spectacularly. Oberst earned a college scholarship at the University of Alabama and finished at the University of Illinois. She's competed with USA Basketball since 2018, won bronze at the 2023 World Championships, and claimed silver at the 2024 Paralympics.

Why This Inspires

Oberst now dedicates herself to the visibility she once avoided. She competes with the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association team sponsored by the Marquette Golden Eagles and speaks publicly about her journey. Her podcast "Plot Twist" features Olympians and Paralympians sharing stories of unexpected life turns.

She's especially excited about the 2028 Games being held in Los Angeles, calling it an "insane opportunity for viewership" that could transform public awareness of Paralympic sports. Oberst believes the Paralympics teach the most important lessons about embracing what makes each person unique.

The teenager who once hid from her disability now stands proudly as proof that sometimes life's plot twists lead to stories better than anything we originally imagined.