Shooting for Success

She spins, she shoots, she scores! Ixhelt Gonzalez knows her way around a basketball court. And her skills as a defender with the Chicago Skyhawks, a co-ed wheelchair basketball team, caught the attention of national coaches. Last summer, at 13 years old, Ixhelt became the youngest member of the national women’s wheelchair basketball team.

When she found out she made Team USA, she was shocked and a little worried that she was too young. “I was smiling and almost cried because I was so happy,” says Ixhelt, now 14.

Ixhelt’s femurs—the bones that connect her hips to her knees—twist inward because of a condition called femoral anteversion. Ixhelt doesn't use a wheelchair in her daily life and walks without a limp. But she cannot run, walk for long distances, or go up stairs without severe pain. 

When Ixhelt was 7, she was asked to try out for the Skyhawks. Her brother, who has cerebral palsy, was already on the team. Ixhelt didn’t realize she was qualified for the team too. “The stereotypical thinking is that everybody that has a disability should be in a wheelchair,” she says, “but that’s not true.”

Due to her femoral anteversion, Ixhelt uses a special wheelchair to play basketball. It has wheels that are slanted inward for speed. In it, Ixhelt can zoom and spin across the court without pain. The chairs are also extra sturdy so Ixhelt can bang into an opponent's wheelchair—which is part of playing defense. This helps her teammates get a clear shot at
the hoop.

Ixhelt first took to the court as part of Team USA at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Germany last August. Next up? “It is my goal to get to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo,” Ixhelt says. But first she'll join the team at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, later this year. “I’m taking it one step at a time,” she says.

She spins, she shoots, she scores! Ixhelt Gonzalez knows her way around a basketball court. She plays defense for a co-ed wheelchair basketball team called the Chicago Skyhawks. And her skills recently caught the attention of national coaches. Last summer, they asked her to join the U.S. women's wheelchair basketball team. That made 13-year-old Ixhelt the youngest member of the team.

When she found out she made Team USA, Ixhelt was shocked. She was a little worried that she was too young. But "I was smiling and almost cried because I was so happy," says Ixhelt, now 14.

Ixhelt has a condition called femoral anteversion. That means the bones that connect her hips to her knees twist inward more than most people’s do. Ixhelt doesn't use a wheelchair in her daily life. She walks without a limp. But she cannot run, walk for long distances, or climb stairs without severe pain.

When Ixhelt was 7, she was asked to try out for the Skyhawks. Her brother, who has cerebral palsy, was already on the team. Ixhelt didn't realize she was qualified for the team too. "The stereotypical thinking is that everybody that has a disability should be in a wheelchair," she says. "But that's not true."

Because of her condition, Ixhelt uses a special wheelchair to play basketball. Its wheels are slanted inward for speed. In the wheelchair, Ixhelt can zoom around the court without pain. The chair is also extra sturdy. This lets Ixhelt bang into an opponent's wheelchair—which is part of playing defense. Blocking an opponent this way helps her teammates get a clear shot at the hoop.

Team USA competed at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Germany last August. It was Ixhelt’s first time on the court with the team. She hopes to compete in the Paralympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo. But first she'll join the team at the Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, later this year. "I'm taking it one step at a time," Ixhelt says.