OSU alumna Mitchell participates in her fourth Paralympic games

OSU alumna Mitchell participates in her fourth Paralympic games

Monday, September 30, 2024

Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | [email protected]

Oklahoma State University alumna Cassie Mitchell participated in her fourth Paralympics for Team USA this summer in Paris.

Although 4,770 miles might have separated her from Stillwater, Mitchell said OSU was with her the entire journey.

Mitchell sat next to pilot Adam Wiley, a proud father of a current OSU student, on her flight from Tulsa to Atlanta. The two chatted about OSU while in the air, and once they landed in Atlanta, Wiley walked Mitchell to her next flight.

"He walks me to the gate, a very nice gentleman, and then he says, 'Oh, wait, that's the plane I'm flying,' then he pilots the Team USA plane to Paris," Mitchell said.

Once Mitchell landed in the City of Lights, she was met with another OSU connection. Her best friend, Kyla Templeton, and her husband, Kurt, both OSU graduates, surprised Mitchell in Paris.

"One had an American flag, and the other had an Oklahoma State flag. That OSU flag got so much attention in Paris, everybody wanted to know what that orange flag was," Mitchell said.

The connections did not end there. Mitchell met another member of the OSU family while getting fitted for her Team USA clothing.

"I met this other guy that's actually at Oklahoma State right now. He was the handler for one of the triathletes," Mitchell said. "He's currently a student at OSU, so we were talking about Oklahoma State all day while getting our outfits fitted."

Once it was time to compete, Mitchell recalls taking in the impressive crowd inside the Stade de France, where the athletics events were held. The 2024 Paris Paralympics marked the second-highest ticket sales in Paralympic history, with 2.4 million tickets sold.

"Unlike Tokyo, we had all these fans. It was packed," Mitchell said. "That was just amazing to have the packed house, and that felt really special."

Mitchell, a quadriplegic and current world record holder in the F51 classification, competed in the women's F53 discus throw. According to the World Para Athletics, those classified in the F51-57 category have impairments that include limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle poweror impaired range of movement. F51 is the most physically impaired classification. Unlike prior Paralympic Games where Mitchell medaled, the Paris 2024 Games combined the female seated throws athletes in the F51, F52 and F53 classifications into a single F53 discus event.

Despite her more impaired F51 classification and some extra challenges on the field of play that were out of her control, Mitchell placed fourth in the F53 discus throw, hurling 13.99 meters. She still holds the women's discus throw world record in the F51 category from a 2021 throw of 14.87 meters.

Initially, Mitchell was devastated by her fourth-place position. For her, it was never about the medal or a picture on the podium but about honoring her country and supporters with a top-three performance.

"I'm still trying to figure out exactly all the lessons that are in there from Paris as we move toward LA 2028. I honestly feel like one of the reasons maybe why these crazy things happen is that if I ever get the gold medal, somehow I feel like there will be a closure on my story," Mitchell said. "I feel like maybe the one reason why the Paralympic gold medal has not yet happened is that God has some greater plan and that my story needs to continue so that I can try to help and inspire other people."

She quickly came to peace with her performance, filling with gratitude and a fire to compete for more. Mitchell plans to try to qualify in the discus throw again in 2028 in Los Angeles but also take on a new sport in boccia.

Boccia is a unique co-ed Paralympic sport designed only for athletes with impairments in all four limbs. In June, Mitchell and her boccia pair partner, Nick Taylor, earned bronze at the World Cup in the sport.

"Whatever it takes. I will compete in LA 2028 and go for gold again. That's the plan," Mitchell said. "It's the home games. We can't miss the home games. My motto has always been 'never, never, never give up'. I am not giving up on my dream of Paralympic gold. If it happens on USA home soil, it will be all the sweeter."