Occupation: Early Childhood Special Education Teacher at Virginia Beach City Schools United States Army (WAC), Heavy Equipment Operator 62J-10
Clubs: Southwest Florida Fencing Academy and Zeljkovic Fencing Academy
Coaches: Charlie Johnson (foil and epee coach), Dr. Brent Myers (saber coach) and Mickey Zeljkovic (foil, epee and saber)
Family: wife Freda Routt, mom, twin sister, older sister and dogs Sandy Fay and Shelly Ray
Hobbies: Swimming, dancing, creating mosaics, graphic design, traveling, baking and sewing
Favorite Fencing Memory: Finding out she's made the 2020 Paralympic Team
Something People Would be Surprised to Know: She was selected to carry the Olympic torch for the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Her wife, Freda, wrote an essay about her and her work with children and it was selected.
Current U.S. Ranking: No. 6 (Saber), No. 6 (Foil), No. 7 (Epee)
Current Paralympic Qualifying Ranking: No. 22 (Category B Saber), No. 23 (Category B Foil), No. 31 (Category B Epee)
Wheelchair World Championship Teams: 2019

Personal

As a kid, Terry Hayes and her sister would pretend to compete at the Olympic Games in their backyard. A member of the varsity lacrosse team at Old Dominion University, Hayes served in the Army and was an early childhood special education teacher. After being diagnosed with Primary Cerebellar Degeneration, a progressive brain disease, and becoming a fulltime wheelchair user, Hayes wanted to remain involved in sports. Doing a Google search for wheelchair sports, Hayes discovered parafencing with a video of Lauryn DeLuca fencing in at the 2016 Paralympic Games. She’s been fencing ever since and will be the oldest Category B fencer at the Tokyo Games.

Results

2021:

Bronze - USA Fencing National Championships (Parafencing Saber)
Fifth - USA Fencing National Championships (Parafencing Epee)
Sixth - USA Fencing National Championships (Parafencing Foil)

2020:

Eighth - Eger Wheelchair World Cup (Team Foil)
23rd - Eger Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Epee)
24th - Eger Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Saber)
26th - Eger Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Foil)

2019:

Bronze - October North American Cup (Parafencing Epee)
Fifth - October North American Cup (Parafencing Foil)
Fifth - October North American Cup (Parafencing Saber)
Fifth - USA Fencing National Championships (Parafencing Foil)
Fifth - USA Fencing National Championships (Parafencing Saber)
Fifth - January North American Cup (Parafencing Saber)
Seventh - January North American Cup (Parafencing Foil)
Seventh - Sao Paulo Wheelchair World Cup (Foil Team)
Ninth - Wheelchair World Championships (Team Saber)
Ninth - Amsterdam Wheelchair World Cup (Team Epee)
Ninth - IWAS World Games (Team Foil)
10th - Warsaw Wheelchair World Cup (Team Saber)
10th - Warsaw Wheelchair World Cup (Team Epee)
18th - Sao Paulo Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Saber)
19th - Sao Paulo Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Foil)
21st - Amsterdam Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Saber)
22nd - Wheelchair World Championships (Category B Saber)
22nd - IWAS World Games (Category B Saber)
23rd - Warsaw Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Saber)
25th - Wheelchair World Championships (Category B Foil)
25th - Amsterdam Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Foil)
26th - IWAS World Games (Category B Foil)
27th - Warsaw Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Foil)
28th - Warsaw Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Epee)
29th - Wheelchair World Championships (Category B Epee)
31st - Amsterdam Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Epee)

2018:

Fifth - October North American Cup (Parafencing Saber)
Sixth - USA Fencing National Championships (Wheelchair Foil)
Seventh - October North American Cup (Parafencing Foil)
Seventh - Tbilisi Wheelchair World Cup (Team Foil)
10th - Pan American Wheelchair Championships (Category A Saber)
11th - Pan American Wheelchair Championships (Category A Foil)
19th - Tbilisi Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Saber)
20th - Tbilisi Wheelchair World Cup (Category B Foil)

Heidi Runyan

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