EASTHAMPTON, Mass. - Easthampton native Saige Harper is one of the paralympic athletes to head to Paris this summer for Team USA rowing as part of the PR3 Mixed Double Scull event.

What You Need To Know

  • Easthampton native Saige Harper is one of the paralympic athletes to head to Paris this summer for Team USA rowing

  • It's been a difficult journey for Harper, who a decade ago nearly lost one of her legs in a boating accident on the Connecticut River

  • Despite having little to no feeling in the limb, Harper continued to compete for Sacred Heart University's rowing team as well as the paralympic team at Community Rowing in Boston

  • In the 2023 World Championships, Harper won silver in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain

It's been a difficult journey for Harper, who a decade ago nearly lost one of her legs in a boating accident on the Connecticut River.

Despite having little to no feeling in the limb, Harper continued to compete for Sacred Heart University's rowing team as well as the paralympic team at Community Rowing in Boston.

"From the type of experience that Saige has had the story is really nuanced in terms of all the different facets that they've had to organize," said Community Rowing Executive Director Ted Benford. "To get themselves to the starting line and those stories themselves are Olympic stories."

A graduate of Easthampton High School, Harper was a competitive swimmer for 15 years while also competing for Northampton Community Rowing.

Community Rowing in Boston told Spectrum News 1 it can be challenging for many rowing clubs to provide resources for athletes with different ability levels.

But the nonprofit said it's important to be proactive and give athletes like Harper the opportunity to participate.

"Certainly, the pros at U.S. Rowing Camp can provide, but you might not get that at a local club where a coach is more accustomed to coaching more able-bodied athletes," he said. "And so all of those wraparound services are things we're really pleased to support."

In the 2023 World Championships, Harper won silver in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain. This competition has marked her first ever campaign in the Paralympics.

Harper has come a long way, which Community Rowing hopes people appreciate both the talent and hard work she and the other paralympians are showcasing.

"Paralympians are regarded the same as Olympians...there's no difference," he said. "The challenges that they have to overcome are just incredible and the speed and the performance levels are really high, and I think it's a remarkable part of what the Olympic spirit is all about."