Jillian Elwart, a Little Rock native, will compete in the Paralympic Games in 2024

Little Rock, Arkansas – When you see something you like, don’t let anything hold you back from pursuing it.
Jillian Elwart, a native of Little Rock, is evidence of it.

This August, she will be competing in the Paris Paralympics of 2024.

“You can push as hard as you can. You are your only limiter,” she said.

She will be competing in the Paralympic Games’ canoe and kayak sprints.

“It almost feels like a dream still,” she said.

The Olympian has worn a prosthetic leg her entire life due to a congenital condition known as proximal femoral focal deficit.

“I truly don’t feel any different,” Elwart said. “I was raised to not depend on anyone.”

Elwart, originally from Little Rock, currently resides and works as a prosthetist at Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport, Louisiana—the same facility she visited as a young child.

“I hope the kids are learning from my example and if nothing else just learn to never say no,” she said.

Elwart stated that she makes a weekly trip to Little Rock to train on the water.

“Even though I don’t have a physical address here it’s still home,” the North Little Rock High School graduate said.

Her path to the Olympics began in 2016 as a simple pastime that, according to her, grew out of hand and sent her competing all over the world.

She’s participated in competitions in Germany, Canada, Brazil, Tokyo, Portugal, and now Paris, France.
“I kind of hope I meet Snoop Dogg,” Elwart says, in addition to taking home an Olympic medal.

She will be able to add Snoop to the list of relationships the sport has helped her build if she ever gets to meet him. The relationships, according to her, have been the highlight of the trip.

“My neighborhood is now the globe and not just Little Rock,” Elwart said.

Elwart competes on September 6 and 7 after departing for Paris on August 26. On August 4, there will be a sendoff celebration at the Filling Station in North Little Rock if you would want to wish her luck before she departs.