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Jacqueline "Jacqui" Kapinowski (born November 28, 1962) is an American Paralympian who competed in wheelchair curling at the 2010 Winter Paralympics and has qualified to compete in rowing at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
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Personal life
Kapinowski was born in Belleville, New Jersey, United States, on November 28, 1962 and attended Point Pleasant Borough High School. As a child she suffered from bacterial meningitis.
At the age of 39 she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS), a neurological disease that results in her needing to use a wheelchair as it makes walking painful and causes seizures and spasms. She is married with two children.
Curling
At the 2008 World Wheelchair Curling Championship held in Sursee, Switzerland, she was part of the American team that won the bronze medal. At the 2009 Championships in Vancouver, Canada, she was a member of the US team that finished in fourth place.
Kapinowski was selected as part of the United States team for the 2010 Winter Paralympics held in Vancouver. She competed in the mixed gender event as the lead for the US team which also included Augusto Perez (skip), Patrick McDonald (third), James Pierce (second) and alternate James Joseph. The team finished second in the round robin stage, winning seven of their nine matches to progress to the semifinal. Playing South Korea the US team lost the match 5–7, meaning they advanced to the bronze meal match to face Sweden. The Swedish team won 7–5 and the US team finished outside of the medals in fourth position.
In March 2011 she announced her retirement from wheelchair curling, citing the fact that she had moved permanently to Florida.
Rowing
After her move to Florida following the 2010 Paralympics, she contacted Navesink Rowing Club in order to try the sport.
In 2011 she finished ninth in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls event at the World Rowing Championships held in Bled, Slovenia.
At the 2015 Word Championships held at Lac d'Aiguebelette, Aiguebelette in France, she finished second in the B final, eighth overall, to secure the United States team a quota position for the women's single skulls at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the US Olympic and Paralympic rowing team trials held in Sarasota, Florida in April 2016, Kapinowski confirmed her qualification to compete in Rio. She won the women's arms and shoulders single sculls (ASW1x) event in a time of 6 minutes 15.91 seconds, finishing ahead of second place athlete KateLynne Steinke by 15.61 seconds.
Other sports
Kapinowski won bronze medals at the 2007 and 2008 Marathon World Championships and also won a 2013 world championship bronze medal in Paratriathlon.