“That’s when it really sank in that we had won, and that I had won my first gold medal,” said Annie. “And I knew that was something that would stay with me forever.”
Annie’s journey to the podium in sitting volleyball at the 2020 Paralympics did not happen by chance, nor did it come without challenges, some of which came before she was even born.
Annie’s mom, Linda, was 20 weeks pregnant when she learned at an ultrasound appointment that her unborn daughter had fibular hemimelia, a condition where part or all of the fibula (calf bone) is missing. After Annie was born, the family met with a local doctor and then a second doctor in Seattle before deciding that amputation was the best path forward.
When she was 9 months old, Annie’s right leg was amputated below the knee. She received her first prosthetic when she was 11 months old, and started walking shortly after.
“Someone once told me that the only disability Annie would ever have was the one we would give her,” Linda said. “I always remembered that.”
The product of an athletic family, Annie became very active in sports, beginning with T-ball in pre-K, then basketball and eventually soccer, where she was the star player on her team throughout elementary school.
By age 7, Annie was playing multiple sports and needed prosthetics that could keep up with her athletic demands. From a connection they had made through the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the family was first introduced to Shriners Children’s Portland, and specifically their in-house Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) department. It was here that Annie first met the POPS manager, Todd DeWees, MHA, CPO.
“I basically grew up with Todd,” Annie said. “He was such a huge part of my childhood, and he really helped me grow and develop as an athlete.”
Todd helped Annie find a variety of prosthetics tailored to her sports. She had a leg that worked best for softball, another for soccer. He fitted her with her first running blade when she was 10, and worked with the in-house motion analysis center to monitor and correct any gait issues that arose.
As she continued to grow, Annie required two surgeries, both performed at Shriners Children’s Portland. She had the first one when she was in fourth grade, to straighten her knee and to set the direction of the bone as she continued to grow. She spent several months on crutches, working with the in-house therapy services department to ensure the leg was growing straight. After a year, Annie underwent a second surgery to remove the plates.
“A lot of kids with disabilities can be traumatized,” Annie said. “But for me, going to Shriners Children’s took that away. It exposed me to other people that looked like me, and introduced me to communities of people I otherwise wouldn’t have met.”
Someone once told me that the only disability Annie would ever have was the one we would give her.
In middle school and with the surgeries and rehabilitation behind her, Annie started playing and excelling at standing volleyball. But it was at an amputee summer camp in Ohio that she was introduced to sitting volleyball. It was quite an adjustment from standing volleyball, but Annie fell in love with it and found she was better at it than standing.
When she was 13, a recruiter she had met at a sitting volleyball clinic recommended that she go to a weekend sitting volleyball clinic in Oklahoma, where the Paralympians train. She continued to do this for three years, and in 2019, she made the national team. She flew to Oklahoma once a month to train with the team before eventually moving there in 2020 to finish high school and continue her training.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games were delayed a year. In the meantime, Annie graduated from high school and was preparing to start college when she learned she was an alternate on the United States Paralympic sitting volleyball team. In mid-August of 2021, she traveled with the team to Tokyo as a member of the 12-woman roster. After going 2-1 in group play and finishing second to China, they defeated Brazil 3-0 in the semifinals before beating China 3-1 in the finals, making it back-to-back-to-back gold medals for the U.S. team.
“The actual moment itself was sort of a blur,” Annie said. “I remember running onto the court and crashing into my teammates and we were all crying. It was one of the most thrilling yet relieving moments I’ve ever had.”
After returning home, Annie still played volleyball, but dedicated most of her focus to her studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies from Linfield College in 2025. She currently works for the tech company Spinzo, and hasn’t ruled out a run at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. She has also reconnected with Shriners Children’s, serving as a Patient Alumna, where she is able to share her time and her story at community events.
Annie shows off her gold medal.
