The Tokyo Paralympics begin this coming Tuesday. Two athletes will represent the Greater Cincinnati area in these games. Paralympic veteran Emmy Kaiser and rookie Lawrence Sapp.

Emmy Kaiser will participate in singles Wheelchair Tennis. She was born in Cincinnati and resides in Fort Mitchell, KY. Kaiser is a 2008 alumnus of St. Henry District High School. She also attended Thomas More and Ball State Universities. Studying psychology and business administration.

This will be Kaiser’s third Paralympic Games. She advanced to the singles round of 16 in 2012 and 2016. In doubles, she advanced to the round of 16 in 2012 and the quarterfinals in 2016. Beyond the Paralympics, Kaiser advanced to the semifinals in both singles and doubles in the 2015 Parapan American Games. The Paralympic companion of the Pan-American Games.

Kaiser won a gold medal in doubles and a singles silver at the 2011 Parapan American Games. She’s also an eight time member of the U.S. World Cup team. Kaiser lives with Spina Bifida, described by the Mayo Clinic as “a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly.” She discovered wheelchair tennis during a local exhibition when she was five. Kaiser is one of three with Kentucky connections competing for Team USA.

Chuck Melton will compete in Wheelchair Rugby. He was born in Madisonville, KY and lives in Illinois. He and his teammates won silver medals in 2016. Louisville resident Oksana Masters has competed in both the Winter and Summer Paralympics. Competing in skiing in the winter, road cycling and rowing in the summer.

Born in Ukraine, Masters was born with leg damage. Caused by radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. This will be Masters’ fifth Paralympics overall and third summer games. She has eight medals, two gold, three silver and three bronze. Masters in in search of her first silver and gold medals in Summer Paralympics competition. Her bronze medal win in 2012 was the first U.S. medal in trunk and arms mixed double sculls rowing. Her best result in a Summer Paralympics event heading into Tokyo.

Lawrence Sapp currently attends the University of Cincinnati as a rising sophomore. He will celebrate his 20^th birthday on September 5th, the closing day of the games. Sapp will be competing in three swimming events. The 100 meter butterfly, 200 meter individual medley and 200 meter freestyle. He won a gold medal at the 2017 world championships and silver in 2019. Sapp is on the autism spectrum and was also diagnosed with an intellectual impairment. Sapp and Kaiser are two of at least 20 Paralympians with Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana ties.

A state-by-state list of Team USA’s Paralympians can be found here.