Sebastian DeFrancesco

Sebastian Anthony DeFrancesco (October 15, 1953 – August 29, 2023) was an American paralympic athlete and table tennis player. He competed at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics.

Sebastian DeFrancesco

Personal information
Born	Sebastian Anthony DeFrancesco (1953-10-15)October 15, 1953 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	August 29, 2023(2023-08-29) (aged 69) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Massachusetts Cabrillo College
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Para-athletics Table tennis
Disability	Quadriplegic[1]
Disability class	C1[2] C5/6[3]
Medal record Representing  United States Paralympic Games Para-athletics 1984 Stoke Mandeville / New York Men's slalom 1A Table tennis 1988 Seoul Men's teams 1A

Life and career

DeFrancesco was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Joseph DeFrancesco and Marion Appuliese.^[4] He attended the University of Massachusetts and Cabrillo College.^[5] He served in the United States Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War.^[2][3] During his military service, he was injured in a military jeep crash in Italy, which left his legs and torso paralyzed.^[1]

DeFrancesco competed at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, winning the bronze medal in the men's slalom 1A event in athletics.^[6] He also competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics, winning the bronze medal in the men's teams 1A event in table tennis.^[7] After competing at the Paralympics, he worked as a sports and recreation director for the Disabled New England Paralyzed Association in 1995.^[8]

Death

DeFrancesco died on August 29, 2023, in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 69.^[5]