From Early Struggles to a Lifelong Passion
Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1979, Josh Turek’s life began with immense challenges. He was born with spina bifida, a condition he has said was linked to his father's exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Enduring 21 surgeries by the age of 12, Turek’s childhood was marked by hospital visits, but it also led him to the sport that would define his athletic life: wheelchair basketball. Raised in a basketball-loving family, he found a new court to conquer. After graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School, where he is now in the Hall of Fame, he took his talents to the collegiate level.
A Collegiate and Professional Legend
At Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU), Turek became the most decorated player in the history of the school's wheelchair basketball program.
From 1997 to 2002, he was a dominant force, finishing his career as a four-time All-American and the program's all-time leading scorer with a staggering 4,024 points. Following his historic collegiate career, Turek played professionally in Europe for 18 years, building an international reputation as one of the sport's elite players. His success at every level culminated in his induction into the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Hall of Fame, cementing his status as a true legend of the game.
The Heart of Team USA
Representing the United States on the world stage became the pinnacle of Turek's career. He was a member of Team USA at four separate Paralympic Games: Athens 2004, London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. His journey with the national team was one of steady ascent. After a seventh-place finish in Athens, the team captured a bronze medal in London. The breakthrough came in Rio, where Turek helped lead Team USA to its first Paralympic gold medal in the sport since 1988. He followed that incredible achievement by winning a second consecutive gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021, ending his celebrated international career on the highest possible note.
A Second Act in Public Service
After retiring from a storied basketball career, Turek embarked on a new and unlikely chapter: politics. Motivated by his experiences advocating for people with disabilities, particularly in navigating healthcare systems, he ran for the Iowa House of Representatives in his hometown of Council Bluffs. In 2022, Turek, a Democrat, won his election by just six votes in a district that heavily favored Donald Trump. He became the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa legislature, where he has focused on bipartisan legislation related to healthcare and disability rights. In 2026, he became the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Iowa, continuing his transition from the basketball court to the political arena.
