Scout Bassett spent seven years in a government-run orphanage in Nanjing, China, after she was abandoned on the side of a street following the loss of her right leg in a chemical fire as an infant. Given a makeshift prosthetic leg patched together from leather belts and masking tape, she never stepped outside of the orphanage, spending her days mopping floors, washing dishes and taking care of the younger children before being adopted by an American couple from Michigan in 1995.

Still learning the English language, Bassett joined sports as a way to connect with her peers. She tried basketball, softball, golf and tennis before competitively racing in track & field and triathlons. At 14, she was introduced to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), which gave her a grant to fund her training while also allowing her to attend running clinics and mentor young amputees. She worked her way to qualify for her first U.S. Paralympic Team in 2016. In pursuit of her Paralympic dreams, Scout competed at the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Track and Field London Trials, where she placed 2nd in the 200m and 3rd in the 100m.

Standing at 4’9”, Scout is a 7x national champion in the 100m. She is currently the world record holder in the 400m and Americas record holder in the 200m. Prior to competing in track, Scout was on the USA Paratriathlon National Team, where she won three silver medals and one bronze medal at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships.

Off the track, Bassett is a Women’s Sports Foundation President-Elect, a member of the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board and the WHOOP Women’s Performance Collective, and she is co-host of BBC Sport’s acclaimed podcast On The Podium. She was also featured in season two of The Greatness Code on AppleTV+, which debuted in May 2022. Her book Lucky Girl: Lessons on Overcoming Odds & Building a Limitless Future was released in September of 2023. Bassett also spends time as a mentor, activist for people with disabilities, athlete ambassador and motivational speaker and is a unique and inspiring role model for all people to dream big and believe.

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