2012 paralympics

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By Jessica Long

Jessica Long is taking a well-deserved break after winning five gold medals at the London Paralympics — and surviving a media frenzy surrounding her biological parents. Jessica blogged exclusively about her experiences with espnW.

It was day three of the Paralympics when I started getting messages from Russian reporters on Facebook and Twitter. "We've found your family!" one said, with a photo of a Russian-looking family attached. Another asked if I'd go to Russia straight from London to be on an "Oprah"-like TV show.

Is this a joke? I thought, my mind spinning. Are they just trying to write a good story?

My brother and I were adopted from Russia when I was 13 months old, and though I've always known the story of my adoption, I've never met my biological parents.

Little did I know, some reporters had taken it upon themselves to find them.

Watch Julie Foudy talk with up-and-coming stars including Paralympian Jessica Long

It was so much to handle right then, in the middle of the biggest meet of my life. Yes, that family in the photo had blond hair like me. But I look like a lot of Russian families, I'm sure. Half of the Russian Paralympic team has blond hair! How was I supposed to know what was real? I wasn't angry, but I couldn't quite process it all, and of course it made it very hard to focus on the races I had each day.

I kept getting messages and links to Russian newspaper articles, and on the final day of the Games, the USOC confirmed for me that it was definitely not a hoax. Since then, I've had all the articles and interviews translated into English and learned a lot about my Russian biological parents.

Choose to Matter by Julie Foudy

Read on for more.

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Adena Andrews

April Holmes may have lost part of her leg, but the Paralympics star refuses to be seen as handicapped. She's on a quest to finish what she started in 2008 and come home with two medals in London. Follow more journeys to London on espnW.com.

April Holmes was in first place during the 200-meter final at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing when the spike on her prosthetic left leg got caught on the track, causing her to fall to the ground. Another competitor stepped on Holmes' face with a track spike. Holmes also caused Marie-Amelie le Fur of France to fall. Despite a right eye filled with blood and a bruised leg, Holmes hobbled to the finish line to complete the race. "I have this thing about finishing whatever you start, so despite my condition I was going to cross the finish line," she wrote in her blog.

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Five days later, despite being sore and tired, Holmes raced in the 100-meter final. Her leg and hips hurt so much she could barely warm up. She even told her competitors they were going to win the race. "I could barely lift my leg, but I never let [my family] know," Holmes said. "They would be too concerned and I didn't need the pity party. Instead, I needed energy and God." As Holmes likes to say it was "by the grace of God," that she crossed the finish line to win gold in the 100 in 13.72 seconds. That's three seconds slower than the able-body Olympic record held by Florence Griffith-Joyner. Holmes would later discover she did it all with a labral tear in her left hip.

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Holmes was elated with her first gold, but on the flight home she couldn't help but think she should have two medals around her neck. That's why she began training two months later for the 2012 Games. Her goal is to claim the 200 medal that eluded her in Beijing.

Before the Paralympics — where she became the fastest amputee in her class, holding world records in the 100, 200 and 400 — Holmes was an All-American in the 400 and 4x400 relay at Norfolk State. After graduation she started working and gave up competitive athletics.

Read on for how April ended up competing in the Paralympics.