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Augusto Perez

Sport: Wheelchair Curling
Residence: East Syracuse, NY

In October of 2005, Augusto "Goose" Perez tried wheelchair curling for the first time. Just seven weeks later, he was trying out for the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team. Perez said he would have been happy just to be selected as an alternate for the squad, but he ultimately made the team outright and went on to see a fair amount of time in shooting second for the U.S. at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Born in Madrid, Spain, Perez came to the U.S. in 1991 for his senior year of high school. He wound up staying when he was offered a scholarship from Paul Smith's College in upstate New York. He received his bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College (Syracuse, N.Y.) in Spanish with a minor in education.

Perez has had three bouts with a rare form of cancer, which have resulted in hip disarticulation amputation of his left leg. Off the ice, he enjoys target shooting, soccer, adaptive outrigger canoe, and mechanics. He volunteers as both a Spanish tutor for high school and middle school students and as a soccer assistant. Perez is married and the proud father of twins (a son and a daughter).

Major Achievements

  • 2010: 4th Place; Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada
  • 2009: Gold Medal- Kathy Kerr Open, Ottawa, Canada
  • 2009: Gold medal - U.S. Open
  • 2009: Bronze Medal - Kinross Invitational, Scotland
  • 2009: 4th Place - World Wheelchair Championships, Vancouver, Canada
  • 2008: Nominated to 2010 U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team
  • 2008: Gold Medal - U.S. Open
  • 2008: USA Curling Male Athlete of the Year (first ever for a wheelchair athlete)
  • 2008: Bronze Medal - World Wheelchair Curling Championship, Sursee, Switzerland

Adaptive Canoe:

  • 2009: Gold Medal - Adaptive Canoe OC 2 200 meters Sprints World Championships, Halifax Nova Scotia Mixed Doubles TA
  • 2008: Gold Medal - OC 1 500 meters sprints World champion TA, Sacramento CA
  • 2008: Silver Medal - OC 12 500 World championships, Sacramento CA

Adaptive Rowing:

  • 2010 Crash B’s indoor World Champion TA 1000k
  • 2010 Bayada Regatta 1000k Single TA 1st Place
  • 2010 Bayada Regatta 1000k Mixed Doubles TA 1000k 1st Place

Augusto works closely with The Hartford, Founding Partner of U.S. Paralympics®, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, helping to positively change public attitudes and perceptions about disability. To learn more about Augusto, visit his website:
www.stumpedesports.com