Jaleen Roberts
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| Born | November 19, 1998 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Kent, Washington, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Eastern Washington University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Cerebral palsy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | T37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jaleen Roberts (born November 19, 1998) is an American track and field athlete. Born with cerebral palsy, she has won medals for Team USA at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, 2019 Parapan American Games, and 2019 World Para Athletics Championships.
Roberts was born on November 19, 1998, in Tacoma, Washington.[1] Although she was born with cerebral palsy, Roberts competed in soccer, wrestling, gymnastics and track growing up.[2] While attending Mill Creek Middle School and Kent-Meridian High School, Roberts competed in wrestling, gymnastics, basketball and track. She decided to stick with wrestling and track in high school, where she qualified for the state wrestling tournament in both her junior and senior years.[3] At a state-level track meet, Jaleen Roberts met her current coach David Greig, the development director and head coach for track and field at ParaSport Spokane. David Greig had been a coach for female cerebral palsy athletes for twenty years and was very impressed by Jaleen Roberts running style.[4] By the conclusion of her high school career, Roberts was the co-recipient of Female Field Athlete of the Year with Jessica Heims.[5]
After high school
After finishing high school, Jaleen Roberts moved to Spokane, Washington to continue training with David Greig. Roberts has said that leaving her family, including her mother and her brothers and sisters, was a very difficult decision. Roberts moved to Spokane to train with David Grieg, and began attending Eastern Washington University due to its proximity to Spokane.[4] She studied Health and Physical Education to become a physical education teacher,[6] completing her degree in December 2021.[4] As a student, she competed with the United States National Team at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.
Career
Roberts earned two bronze medals in the Women's 100 metres and Women's 200 metres, and silver in the Women's long jump.[7] Her time of 28.28 for the 200 meters set a United States record.[8]
At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, she again earned a silver medal in the long jump.[9] Roberts also qualified for the 2019 Parapan American Games where she earned four gold medals and set two record times.[10] As a result of her athleticism, she was named to the United States 2020 Paralympics Track and Field National Team.[11]