Mayumi Narita
Mayumi Narita is a Japanese swimmer, described as "one of the world’s best Paralympic athletes" by the International Paralympic Committee. Japan Today has described her as a "swimming sensation perhaps as great as the Thorpedo but whose name few know". She has won 15 gold medals at the Paralympics, and 20 total.
Narita has used a wheelchair because of myelitis since the age of 13; in 1994, additionally, she was involved in a traffic accident which left her quadriplegic. In 1996, she represented Japan at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, where she won two gold medals, two silver and one bronze. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, she won six gold medals. She also set five world records at the Sydney Games.
Narita competed again at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, and was the Games' most successful athlete, of any nationality and in any sport. She set six world records, seven Paralympic records, and won seven gold medals and one bronze medal.
In 2005, she was given the Best Female Athlete award by the International Paralympic Committee, the Best Male Athlete award going to Brazil's Clodoaldo Silva.
Narita is currently vice chair of the Tokyo 2016 Athletes' Commission.
