Paralympic Hopeful Pursues Her Dreams Through Aztec Adaptive Sports
First-year Criminal Justice major Michelle Cross hopes to compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
March 8, 2019
By Georgia Burgé
March 8, 2019
Although she’s currently attending school in sunny San Diego, first-year Criminal Justice major Michelle Cross has her sights set on somewhere on the other side of the planet: Tokyo.
Cross is the first student ever admitted to the university specifically to compete as part of SDSU Adaptive Athletics, a program run through the school of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences that focuses on supporting adaptive athletes, like Michelle, in their pursuit of athletic and academic excellence. According to their website, the ultimate goal of the SDSU Adaptive Athletics program is to “build the first collegiate level adaptive sports program on the west coast.”
Cross was born with cerebral palsy, which limits her mobility on her right side. She began competing in cross country events during her freshman year of high school, but after falling during a race, was informed about a division for para-athletes within her high school’s athletic conference. From there, she transitioned to training for the 100, 200, and 400-meter events since the division didn’t offer any cross country events.
After impressive performances at the high school level, Cross earned the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2017 World Para Athletics Junior Championships in Switzerland.
“The coolest part about competing in Junior Worlds was getting to meet the 20 other athletes who were on the US Junior Paralympic team with me,” Cross said. “My teammates were from all over the country, and getting to compete alongside them, and different athletes from all over the world, was such a life-changing experience.”
Not only did Cross’s performance earn her a spot on the international stage, it also caught the attention of Paralympic Track and Field athlete Ahkeel Whitehead, who serves as the program director for SDSU Adaptive Athletics and introduced her to the program.
“Being part of the SDSU Adaptive Athletics program has made me a better person,” Cross said. “It’s given me a different perspective in life. It’s shown me that I can do so much more than I ever thought I was capable of.”
Cross is now training to compete in the 100 and 200-meter events at the college Paralympic level and hopes to compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
“Through this program, I’ve learned that if you work hard you can do everything you put your mind to, and I hope to carry that mentality with me when I enter the workforce,” Cross said. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in the criminal justice field.
Cross’s first track and field season with SDSU Adaptive Athletics is set to begin March 16, 2019.
The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.
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