Heather Erickson

For 15-year-old Heather Erickson, the youngest member of the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Women's Sitting Volleyball Team, volleyball is her life and she has no problem admitting it. As she proved at the 2008 Paralympic Games, she is both the present and future of Team USA, a squad that won a silver medal in Beijing. Erickson was an integral part of Team USA as they took home the silver medal at the 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships, as she was one of the starters in the final game against China.

Erickson was born with a condition that prevented a bone in her lower right leg from fully developing. After 15 failed surgeries, she and her family opted to have her right foot amputated just above the ankle in 2002. A month later, when the swelling from her final surgery had subsided, she received her first prosthetic leg.

Now a member of her high school volleyball team, Erickson heard about the sitting game while attending her sister’s volleyball tournament. She was able to make the transition seamlessly and was named to the national team in 2007. That summer, she traveled to Shanghai for what was a tune-up to the Paralympic Games.

Erickson said she’s considering getting into the teaching profession, preferably with elementary or high school students. Her sister, Stephanie, is the reason she started playing volleyball and her inspiration to keep going with the sport. When asked about what she likes to do with her free time, she said she likes hanging out with her friends and just relaxing, “but otherwise it's playing volleyball or training for volleyball."