Mario Rodriguez (born 1959), is an American

wheelchair fencer Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability. Wheelchair fencing is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation that is a federation of the International Paralympic Committee, and is one of ...

Biography

Rodriguez was born in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. In 1985 a low speed motorcycle accident revealed a malignant tumor in his right hip resulting in resection, removal, and reconstruction that ultimately failed ending in eventual amputation of his right hip & leg or hip-disarticulation/semi-hemipelvectomy in April, 1992. In 2002 and 2003 respectively he won 3 bronze medals in three different world cups in men's category A foil in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, United States; Madrid, Spain; and

Warsaw, Poland Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-cen ...

. In 2010 he was a gold medalist at the North American Cup for sabre and in 2011 won another gold for foil at the

Parapan American Games The Parapan American Games is an international multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities held every four years after every Pan American Games. The first Games were held in 1999 in Mexico City, Mexico. The 2003 Parapan American Ga ...

. Before he became a paralympian he served as a representative of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

as a Russian translator in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

for four years.

References

1959 births Living people Sportspeople from Houston American male épée fencers American amputees Paralympic wheelchair fencers for the United States Wheelchair fencers at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics American male foil fencers American male sabre fencers {{US-fencing-bio-stub