Bisnett to reprise role as Team Leader in Paralympic Games

A School of Dentistry staff member will be joining the United States Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball team as a Team Leader this summer in Paris.

Kearstin Bisnett, department administrator for the Department of Development and Surgical Sciences, is no stranger to adaptive sports. When a gymnastics accident left a friend paralyzed from the waist down in eighth grade, Bisnett joined him for physical therapy sessions. She would later join him in adaptive sports, including wheelchair basketball and track and field. 

This passion followed Bisnett throughout her college career, where she managed the women’s wheelchair basketball team at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

“There, I made some amazing personal and professional connections, which led me to the opportunity to become Team Leader for the USA Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team in 2015,” she reflected. Bisnett stayed in that role until 2021. “During that time, I traveled the world, and attended many training camps and national competitions. My main responsibilities  for the team were anything logistics related, including travel, lodging, event organization, compliance and team communication.” 

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting delay of the 2020 Paralympics prevented Bisnett from joining the team in 2021—so when the opportunity to return to travel with the team in 2024 was presented, Bisnett “knew it was my second chance to attend one more Paralympic Games. With my new job and family being supportive, it was an opportunity I couldn’t say no to.” 

These games will be the second Paralympic Games Bisnett has had the opportunity to attend. In 2016, her team won the Gold medal in Rio.

Bisnett is excited about the opportunity to get back to the team, who she considers “my second family,” and to see the growth they’ve accomplished over the past few years. “It has been rewarding to see these athletes grow on and off the court throughout the years,” she said, “so it will be exciting to see all the hard work they’ve put in pay off.” Of course, she’s also looking forward to the opportunity to travel and enjoy great food. 

The Paralympics have been a major part of Bisnett’s life—both professionally and personally—and she’s excited to have the opportunity to attend one more competition. In fact, wheelchair basketball is how Bisnett met her husband. 

“My husband is an oral radiologist and has experience at the high school, college and national level,” she said. “We make an effort to keep involved in adaptive sports wherever we live. That has included coaching wheelchair basketball programs in Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota.” 

Fun facts about the Paralympics

Submitted by Kearstin Bisnett

1.    The Paralympics take place about two weeks after the Olympics.

2.    All of the sporting venues are the same, but may be used for different events.

3.    We stay in the same Athlete village as the Olympic athletes.

4.    Televised events have been growing! This year, NBC Universal is set to air record Paralympic coverage from Paris. There will be additional streaming available on Peacock. 

5.    Athletes get paid the same amount for winning a medal as athletes do in the Olympics.

6.    Two sports that only exist at the Paralympic games are: Boccia and Goalball.

7.    The USA Women’s Wheelchair basketball team won Gold in 2016, and Bronze in 2020.

8.    The USA Men’s Wheelchair basketball team won Gold in both 2016 and 2020.

9.    The Paralympics have their own logo called the “Agitos”, which means “I move” in Latin.

10. Wheelchair Basketball has been a Paralympic sport since 1960 and teams must qualify to compete.