Name: Christella Garcia

Weight Category: +70 kg

Club: Team Sacramento Judo

Career Highlights

Current IBSA Paralympic Ranking: No. 3
Current IBSA World Ranking: No. 4
2016 & 2024 Paralympic Bronze Medalist (+70 kg)
2023 IBSA World Games Bronze Medalist (J1 +70 kg)
2x Paralympian (2016, 2012)

Personal

Garcia practiced judo for several years as a young child and returned to the sport in her 20s with the goal of representing Team USA at the Paralympic Games. She qualified for her first Paralympic Team in 2012, finishing just off the podium in fifth in the 70 kg category. Garcia took several years off from the sport after London, but returned to competition in 2015 and ultimately moved up to the +70 kg category where she not only qualified for her second Paralympic Team in 2016 but claimed bronze in her new category - becoming just the second U.S. female judo athlete to medal at the Games. She followed that up with another bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Garcia won her first World Championship medal in 2023 and recently secured qualification for the 2024 Paralympic Games after a qualification season that included six IBSA Grand Prix podium finishes.

Garcia makes and sells hair and skin products under her Angel Hands brand. She also works part-time at Massage Envy as a licensed and certified message tech. In her free time, she enjoys reading and cooking.

Competition History

2024:

Silver - IBSA Antalya Grand Prix
Bronze - IBSA Heidelberg Grand Prix
Fifth - IBSA Tbilisi Grand Prix
Bronze - Paralympic Games

2023:

Gold - IBSA Almada Grand Prix
Silver - IBSA Tokyo Grand Prix
Bronze - IBSA World Games
Bronze - IBSA Alexandria Grand Prix
Bronze - IBSA Baku Grand Prix

2022:

Silver - IBSA Pan American Championships

2019:

Bronze - Parapan American Games (70 kg)

2018:

Silver - IBSA Pan American Championships (70 kg)

2016:

Silver - IBSA Birmingham Grand Prix
Bronze - Paralympic Games

2015:

Fourth - Parapan American Games (70 kg)

2012:

Fifth - Paralympic Games (70 kg)

2011:

Bronze - ParaPan American Games (70 kg)
Seventh - IBSA World Games (70 kg)

2010:

Fifth - IBSA World Championships (70 kg)

2009:

Silver - Visually Impaired German Open (63 kg)

2007:

Fifth - IBSA World Games (63 kg)

Christopher Velazco

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Hometown

Education

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