Rosalie Joyce Hixson (November 19, 1944 – February 3, 2006), later Rosalie Wiherin, was an American wheelchair athlete. She earned medals at the 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976 Paralympic Games.
Rosalie Hixson | |
|---|---|
 Rosalie Hixson, from a 1967 newspaper | |
| Born | Rosalie Joyce Hixson November 19, 1944 Crystal Spring, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 3, 2006 Johnstown, Pennsylvania |
| Other names | Rosalie Wiherin (married name) |
| Occupation | Wheelchair athlete |
| Known for | 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976 Paralympic Games; 1967 and 1969 Pan American Wheelchair Games |
Early life edit
Rosalie Joyce Hixson was born in Crystal Spring, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Guy Newton Hixson and Junia May Duvall Hixson.[1] Her family ran a farm, and she was on the track team in high school.[2] She became paralyzed as a teenager, in 1959, from polio.[3][4] She trained as an athlete at the Hiram G. Andrews Rehabilitation Center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Southern Fulton High School in 1962, and attended Elizabethtown College.[5][6][7]
Career edit
Hixson earned eight gold medals, four silver medals, and six bronze medals across four summer Paralympic Games, from 1964 to 1976. At the 1964 Paralympics, held in Tokyo,[8] she earned medals in swimming, club throw, discus throw, shot put, and javelin events. At the 1968 Paralympics, held in Tel Aviv, she won medals in shot put, javelin, and women's pairs lawn bowls events. At the 1972 Paralympics, held in Heidelberg, she won medals pentathlon, javelin, and discus throw events.[9] And at the 1976 Paralympics, held in Toronto, she won medals in table tennis and javelin events.[10][11]
Hixson competed at Stoke-Mandeville International Games in England in 1963 and 1966,[1][12] at the first Pan American Wheelchair Games in WInnipeg in 1967, and at the second Pan American Wheelchair Games in Buenos Aires in 1969,[13] winning multiple medals.[14] She also competed at the National Wheelchair Games in 1963, 1964,[15] 1966, 1967, 1971, and 1976.[16][17][18] She held several world records in javelin and shot put,[19] and was a member of the Central Penn Wheelers.[20] "Sports was always my life even before my disability," she told a reporter in 1976. "I don't walk. What's the big deal about that? Life doesn't consist of two legs."[19]
Hixson was congratulated by a resolution of the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1965.[21] In 1971, she became the first woman elected to the National Wheelchair Athletic Hall of Fame.[22] In 1976, she was named to Pennsylvania's Council on Physical Fitness by Governor Milton Schapp.[23] Away from sports, Hixson earned a living as a secretary, a therapy aide at a children's hospital,[20][24] a small businesswoman, and a child care provider. She was Ms. Wheelchair Philadelphia in 1975, competing for Ms. Wheelchair America.[25][26]
Personal life edit
Rosalie Hixson married electrical engineer Walter Wiherin in 1979. They had a daughter, Elisa. She was widowed in 2003, and she died at a hospital in Johnstown in 2006, aged 61 years, from complications of diabetes. She was posthumously named to the Fulton County All-Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[27]
References edit
- ^ a b "Fulton Girl, 19, to Represent U.S. in Wheelchair Olympics". Public Opinion. 1964-07-31. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixon Describes Role in Paralympic Games". Public Opinion. 1965-02-26. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Parents and Friends". The Fulton Democrat. 1959-11-12. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Davis, David (2020-08-25). Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed Veterans from World War II Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fought for Disability Rights, and Inspired a Nation. Center Street. ISBN 978-1-5460-8462-4.
- ^ Snowdon, Charles T. (1965-10-21). "Others Can Take Lessons from This Vibrant Girl". Elizabethtown Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hoover, Clara R. (1967-01-11). "Rosalie Hixson is Listed in Volume". Public Opinion. p. 9. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Swim Star Thanks Polio for Prowess". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1965-03-27. p. 9. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Leaving for Tokyo". Bedford County Press and Everett Press. 1964-10-29. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Athlete Shows Ability Outweighs Handicap". The Mercury. 1972-11-20. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixson - Athletics, Lawn Bowls, Swimming, Table Tennis | Paralympic Athlete Profile". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ Brittain, Ian (2012). From Stoke Mandeville to Stratford: A History of the Summer Paralympic Games (PDF). Champaign, Illinois: Common Ground. p. 70. ISBN 9781863359863.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixson Gets Seven Gold Medals". Public Opinion. 1966-08-11. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jamaican Girl Top Winner As Wheelchair Games End". The New York Times. December 8, 1969. p. 72 – via ProQuest.
- ^ McFarland, James M. (January 1970). "U.S. Handicapped Athletes Make a Goodwill Tour". Department of State News Letter: 27.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixson Wins in Wheelchair Contest". Bedford County Press and Everett Press. 1964-07-16. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wilkins, Bulova, is Star at Games". The New York Times. June 13, 1966. p. 71 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Radosta, John (June 17, 1967). "Spirits Are High at Wheelchair Games: Contestants Greeted by Campanella at Opening Event". The New York Times. p. S26 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "New Yorkers Take Wheelchair Games". The New York Times. June 4, 1971. p. 57 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b Aiello, Greg (1976-06-13). "Spirit is Still Whole". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). p. 214. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Therapy Aide Wins 3 Medals in U.S. Wheelchair Games". Elizabethtown Chronicle. 1966-06-16. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixson Acclaimed by State Senate". The Fulton Democrat. 1965-02-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hall of Fame Selectees" (PDF). National Wheelchair Basketball Association Newsletter. 11: 4. December 1971.
- ^ "Overcomes Handicap; Area Resident Appointed to Shapp's Council on Physical Fitness". The Mercury. 1976-12-01. p. 36. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixson Serving as Therapy Aide". Bedford County Press and Everett Press. 1965-07-15. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rosalie Hixson, Katy Manley, Janice Kelly, Olga Davila and cheerleaders" (September 27, 1975), Miss Wheelchair American records, Ohio History Collection.
- ^ "The Winner". Philadelphia Daily News. 1975-08-01. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fulton County All-Sports Banquet Set". Public Opinion. 2014-03-16. p. 21. Retrieved 2021-07-24 – via Newspapers.com.