Lora Webster
Height: 5-11
Weight: 145 pounds
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz., and Lincoln, Neb.
Current Residence: Edmond, Okla.
College: University of Central Oklahoma
PERSONAL: Born Lora Jessica Webster on Aug. 26, 1986 in Phoenix, Ariz. ... Parents are Dale and Sandy Webster... Lora has a sister named Lisa... Lora was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in her left tibia at age 11. Lora later underwent a procedure known as rotationplasty to remove the cancerous bone, which included the knee. As part of the procedure, her lower leg was rotated 180 degrees and connected to the remnants of the femur. This gave her full range of movement, allowing her to play sports. In 1998, she was fitted with prosthesis... Lora graduated from Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Ariz., in 2004... In high school, she competed in volleyball for four years, track for one year and diving for one year at Lincoln East High School in Lincoln, Neb. ... Lora won the spirit award for varsity volleyball and her 2004 Cactus Shadows team won the state title... In 2004, Lora was honored at the 11th Annual Gene Autry Courage Awards in Tempe, Ariz. She was also named USA Volleyball's sitting player of the year that year... In the February, 2006 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, Lora was named Cosmo's first Fun Fearless Female Reader, an honor that came with a $10,000 cash prize... Lora is studying broadcasting at the University of Central Oklahoma... She works as a waitress... She likes to listen to Regina Spektor, No Justice, Blue October, Damien Rice and Colbie Caillat among others... Her favorite movies are The Notebook, Bad Boys 2, Garden State and Miracle... Her favorite TV shows are Criminal Minds and Grey's Anatomy among others... Lora's role model is her sister, Lisa, because "she is an amazing person and I would be lucky to be just like her."
MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: 2008 - Paralympic Games in Beijing (silver medal)... World Organization Volleyball for Disabled (WOVD) Intercontinental Cup in Ismailia, Egypt (bronze medal)... 2007 - Sitting Volleyball Invitational in Shanghai China (silver medal)... 2006 - Sitting Volleyball World Championship in Netherlands (fifth place)... 2004 - Lora was the team's leading scorer at the Paralympic Games in Athens (bronze medal)... 2003 - Para Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina (gold medal). Lora was named best spiker and MVP of the tournament... Lora has also played in several exhibition matches, both international and domestic, with the U.S. team.
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 - Lora helped lead the U.S. to a silver medal finish at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing... Finished the tournament with 29 points (15 kills, 13 blocks and one ace), tied for fourth best on the team... Started all five matches while playing in 16 of the 17 sets in Beijing... Had five kills and five blocks in a five-set semifinal win over the Netherlands.
