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Jaleen Roberts

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Jaleen Roberts
Personal information
Born (1998-11-19) November 19, 1998 (age 27)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Home townKent, Washington, U.S.
EducationEastern Washington University
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Sport
CountryUnited States
DisabilityCerebral palsy
Disability classT37
Medal record
Women's para athletics
Representing the  United States
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 100 m T37
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Long jump T37
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris Long jump T37
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 100 m T37
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 London Long jump T37
Silver medal – second place 2019 Dubai Long jump T37
Silver medal – second place 2023 Paris 100 m T37
Bronze medal – third place 2017 London 100 m T37
Bronze medal – third place 2017 London 200 m T37
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Paris 200 m T37
Bronze medal – third place 2025 New Delhi Long jump T37

Jaleen Roberts (born November 19, 1998) is an American track and field athlete. Born with cerebral palsy, she has won medals for Team USA at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, 2019 Parapan American Games, and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships.

Early life and education

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Roberts was born on November 19, 1998, in Tacoma, Washington.[1] Although she was born with cerebral palsy, Roberts competed in soccer, wrestling, gymnastics and track growing up.[2] While attending Mill Creek Middle School and Kent-Meridian High School, Roberts competed in wrestling, gymnastics, basketball and track. She decided to stick with wrestling and track in high school, where she qualified for the state wrestling tournament in both her junior and senior years.[3] At a state-level track meet, Jaleen Roberts met her current coach David Greig, the development director and head coach for track and field at ParaSport Spokane. David Greig had been a coach for female cerebral palsy athletes for twenty years and was very impressed by Jaleen Roberts running style. [4] By the conclusion of her high school career, Roberts was the co-recipient of Female Field Athlete of the Year with Jessica Heims.[5]

After High school

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After finishing high school, Jaleen Roberts moved to Spokane, Washington to continue training with David Greig. Roberts mentioned that leaving her family, including her mother and her brothers and sisters, was a very difficult decision to make. Initially, Jaleen had moved to Spokane to train with David Grieg, however, Roberts ending up attending Eastern Washington University due to its proximity to Spokane.[6] She studied Health and Physical Education to become a physical education teacher.[7] As a student, she competed with the United States National Team at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships

Career

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Roberts earned two bronze medals in the Women's 100 metres and Women's 200 metres, and silver in the Women's long jump.[8] Her time of 28.28 for the 200 meters set a United States record.[9]

At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, she again earned a silver medal in the long jump.[10] Roberts also qualified for the 2019 Parapan American Games where she earned four gold medals and set two record times.[11] As a result of her athleticism, she was named to the United States 2020 Paralympics Track and Field National Team.[12]

Roberts is bisexual.[13]

Mental Health

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When the Coronavirus began to spread across the globe, the Japanese Prime Minister had temporarily suspended the Tokyo Olympic Games until the following year. All the training sessions and preparations that Roberts had done looked meaningless. Then, suddenly, in May of 2021, her best friend passed from suicide at the age of 23. Jaleen Roberts had checked herself into a psychiatric hospital out of fear that she would harm herself. The hospital stay was short lived and Jaleen left the hospital motivated to keep training for the Tokyo Olympic Games. [14]

References

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  1. ^ "JALEEN ROBERTS". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  2. ^ McNicholl, Danamarie (February 27, 2020). "'All of it circles back to Tokyo': Spokane athlete with cerebral palsy trains for Paralympic Games". krem.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Royal mission". Kent Reporter. January 12, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  4. ^ "Jaleen Roberts: Success and Sacrifice - Stories - Eastern Magazine - EWU - The Region's Polytechnic". Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  5. ^ Etchells, Daniel (October 21, 2017). "US Paralympics honours top 71 high school track and field athletes". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  6. ^ "Jaleen Roberts: Success and Sacrifice - Stories - Eastern Magazine - EWU - The Region's Polytechnic". Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  7. ^ Tanner, Kara (August 27, 2019). "Already A Two-Time Parapan Champion, Jaleen Roberts Finds Belonging On The Track". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  8. ^ Jacobs, Heidi (August 17, 2017). "Kent's Roberts shines on world track stage with 3 medals". Kent Reporter. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Scarr, Georgia (July 18, 2017). "World Para Athletics Championships: Day 1-4". runnersworld.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  10. ^ November 10, 2019, Blythe (November 10, 2019). "Jaleen Roberts Scores Second Consecutive Para Athletics Worlds Long Jump Silver Medal". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "ParaSport Spokane has impressive showing at 2019 Parapan American Games". The Spokesman-Review. August 31, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  12. ^ "U.S. Paralympics Track & Field names 54 athletes to national team". sportsnspokes.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  13. ^ Theil, Michele (August 31, 2024). "These are the five LGBTQ+ athletes competing in the Paralympic athletics events". PinkNews. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  14. ^ "Jaleen Roberts: Success and Sacrifice - Stories - Eastern Magazine - EWU - The Region's Polytechnic". Retrieved October 28, 2025.
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