Paul Nitz

Sport: Wheelchair Racing
Residence: Bloomfield, Connecticut

In 2000, Paralympic wheelchair racer Paul Nitz achieved his dream to win his third consecutive gold medal in the 100-meter race at the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. In 1992, he won gold at the Barcelona Paralympic Games and at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, he set a new world record in the 100-meter race and won the gold medal.

Paul's accomplishments include numerous World and National Championships, medals and awards, including a 1995 second-place finish in the quadriplegic wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon. The New England Wheelchair Athlete Association recognized his accomplishments by naming him Adult Male Athlete of the Year.

"Sports has driven just about everything I've done," says Paul, who was born with a spinal cord injury, and grew up playing basketball, indoor hockey, football and track. Wanting a college experience that included sports as well as academics, he chose Southwest State University, in Minnesota, where he competed on its intercollegiate wheelchair basketball team. After graduation Paul joined The Hartford where he works as a senior underwriting analyst in the company’s Group Benefits Division.

Paul competed in his fourth Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece in 2004. He currently is looking forward to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

As both a Paralympian and long-time employee of The Hartford, Paul embodies The Hartford’s message that the sky’s the limit when we focus on an individual’s abilities, instead of on his or her perceived physical limitations.