Seven Knights will represent America, Denmark, Germany and Lithuania at the 2024 Summer Olympics (July 26-Aug. 11) and Paralympics (Aug. 28-Sept. 8) in Paris.

These athletes exemplify the spirit and dedication of Knight Nation. Watch the events on NBC or stream via Peacock as you cheer them on.

(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative Photography)

Samantha Bosco

Event dates: Sept. 4

Born with a born with a bowed tibia in her right leg, Samantha Bosco, began cycling with her dad at 7 years old. At 11, she underwent three years of surgeries to fix her leg-length discrepancy from the bowed tibia. The surgery to lengthen her right leg two and a half inches didn’t go as planned, eventually leaving her with permanent damage to her leg.

Unable to ride a bike after the surgeries, Bosco switched sports, going on to receive a full athletic scholarship with the Knights. From 2005-07, she rowed for two seasons in the V8, V4 and JV8 boats. However, the damage to her leg led to her retiring from the sport after her sophomore season.

An adapted bike allowed her to participate in road races. Two years after her return to her bike, she discovered paracycling. She found success in the sport, reaching her first world championship in 2013 before earning a pair of bronze medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. In 2019, after discovering nerve damage and still competing at a high level, she was nominated for the Best Female Athlete with a Disability award at the ESPYs. Three days after being named to the Team USA roster for the 2021 Tokyo Games, Bosco suffered a traumatic brain injury and two skull fractures, forcing her out of the competition. In her return, she won every paracycling road race she entered in 2022, becoming a double world champion in Baie-Comeau, Canada in August of that year.

Person in center with glasses and medal

Kyle Coon ’13

Event dates: Sept. 1-2

Coon, a communication alum, will compete in the Paralympic triathlon after secured his place by finishing third in the World Triathlon Para Series Montreal. His impressive performance in the race, which included a 760-meter swim, 20.2-kilometer bike, and 5-kilometer run, earning him the honor of representing Team USA in Paris.

He also represented Team USA in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, where he made his first Olympic appearance and placed fifth. A lifelong competitive athlete, Coon was a member of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s Wrestling Club and a group exercise instructor for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s Recreation and Wellness Center during his studies.

At 10 months old, Coon was diagnosed with bilateral sporadic retinoblastoma, the most common form of eye cancer for children. By the time he turned 7, both of his eyes had been surgically removed. Shortly after, Coon’s father introduced him to Erik Weihenmayer, a blind extreme athlete who inspired the young boy to continue to stay active.

Man standing in front of white background

Malacchi Esdale

Event dates: July 24, 25 and 27

Esdale, a former ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ student, will compete in rugby for Team USA. After becoming a professional rugby player in 2017, he was appointed as a travel reserve for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Esdale discovered rugby in by playing for the Naples Bears in Florida. After attending ASA College in New York and the University of Miami, he transferred to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, where he joined the Rugby Club – Men’s Team and honed his skills.

Sarai Linder
(Photo courtesy of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics)

Sarai Linder

Event dates: July 25, 28 and 31; Aug. 3, 6, 9 and 10

Former ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ women’s soccer defender Sarai Linder will represent her nation of Germany. She is one of three ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ women’s soccer alums to compete at the Olympics, joining USA’s Michelle Akers ’89 (1996 Atlanta) and Brazil’s Aline Reis ’11 (2016 Rio).

Linder, spent the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign with the Knights, playing seven matches. She capped her season by earning First Team All-American Athletic Conference honors, All-AAC Rookie Team accolades, and 2020-21 AAC All-Academic Team honors.

Julie Poulsen
(Photo courtesy of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics)

Julie Poulsen ’20

Event dates: July 28 and 30; Aug. 1

Poulsen will represent her home county of Denmark in the women’s four portion of rowing.

The ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ communication alum began rowing at 10 when her mother took her to a local club. Poulsen is one of the most decorated ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ rowers in program history. She is one of three Knights to be named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-American. She was named First Team All-American Athletic Conference three times (2018, 2019, 2021) and earned CRCA National Scholar Athlete and American Athletic Conference All-Academic honors in four straight years from 2018-21.

β€œMy days at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has taught me a lot of lessons, which has played a big part of who I am today,” Poulsen says. β€œAn important lesson I learned at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was to be less timid of challenges. We were often thrown big challenges we didn’t think we could overcome, but we always would. This has made me believe that there is no challenge that is too big, and it has made me so much more tough than I was before.”

Viktorija Senkute
(Photo courtesy of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics)

Viktorija Senkute ’18

Event dates: July 27-Aug. 3

Senkute will compete for Team Lithuania in women’s single sculls for rowing.ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s rowing team won four American Athletic Conference championships while the interdisciplinary studies student-athlete attended the university (2015-18). She earned a CRCA All-Region nod in 2018 as well as First Team All-American Athletic Conference first team honors in 2017 and 2018 and second team recognitions in 2015 and 2016.

β€œBefore coming to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ I didn’t know how to be a teammate; I didn’t know how to fight as one. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ taught me so many things about what it’s like to be on a team,” she says. β€œIn Lithuania, you have to choose one path in college β€” sports or education. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ allowed me to combine both and experience a culture and life I would have never dreamed about.”

Person smiling

Kristen Thomas ’16

Event dates: July 28-30

Thomas, a theatre studies alum, is a rugby traveling reserve for the Team USA. She previously represented Team USA as co-captain in the 2020 Summer Olympics, helping the team achieve a top 10 finish.

Thomas began her rugby career at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ in 2011, joining the Rugby Club – Women’s Team. Her exceptional talent was quickly recognized, leading to a call-up to the national team just two years later.

β€œΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was pretty instrumental in developing me as a player,” Thomas said in a 2021 article. β€œOur coach, Raoul Besse, really harped on our skills. The physicality of the game I think I get a lot from him because you need to be physical in a contact sport. He was the first one to nominate me for the under-20 national team and if he hadn’t done that, I don’t know if I would be where I am today.”