Sebastian DeFrancesco
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Sebastian Anthony DeFrancesco | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | October 15, 1953 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | August 29, 2023 (aged 69) Palo Alto, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Cabrillo College | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para-athletics Table tennis | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Quadriplegic[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | C1[2] C5/6[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Sebastian Anthony DeFrancesco (October 15, 1953 – August 29, 2023) was an American paralympic athlete and table tennis player. He competed at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics.
Life and career
[edit]DeFrancesco was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Joseph DeFrancesco and Marion Appuliese.[4] He attended the University of Massachusetts and Cabrillo College.[5] He served in the United States Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War.[2][3] During his military service, he was injured in a military jeep crash in Italy, which left his legs and torso paralyzed.[1]
DeFrancesco competed at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, winning the bronze medal in the men's slalom 1A event in athletics.[6] He also competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics, winning the bronze medal in the men's teams 1A event in table tennis.[7] After competing at the Paralympics, he worked as a sports and recreation director for the Disabled New England Paralyzed Association in 1995.[8]
Death
[edit]DeFrancesco died on August 29, 2023, in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 69.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Lehman, Besty (July 19, 1993). "They're up for challenge". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. 25. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Parks, Brad (June 22, 1995). "Now he's a table settler: Organizer DeFrancesco plays a gallant match". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. 46. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
DeFrancesco played in Class 1 in table tennis
- ^ a b Ranii, Cindy Hall (June 1, 2017). "Sebastian DeFrancesco: Out of the Rabbit Hole, Into the Light". New Mobility. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "Sebastian Anthony DeFrancesco". Tribute Archive. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "Sebastian Anthony DeFrancesco". Santa Cruz Sentinel. September 6, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "Stoke Mandeville New York 1984 Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ "Milton athlete Olympic hopeful". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. January 1, 1995. p. 22. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]
- 1953 births
- 2023 deaths
- Track and field athletes from Brooklyn
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 1984 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States
- Table tennis players at the 1988 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 1988 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic medalists in table tennis
- Paralympic table tennis players for the United States
- Table tennis players at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
- Table tennis players at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
- Table tennis players at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- University of Massachusetts alumni
- Cabrillo College alumni
- American male wheelchair racers
- American male table tennis players
- Members of the United States Army Special Forces
- United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War