Joe Jackson
- Number: 3
- Classification: 1.0
- Hometown: Maricopa, AZ
Bio: As a veteran low-pointer for USA Wheelchair Rugby, Joe Jackson is ready to help mentor his teammates and lead them to something that has eluded the team since 2008 – a Paralympic gold medal. Jackson discovered the sport of wheelchair rugby through the Oscar-nominated documentary Murderball while recovering from a football-related injury. Instantly, he knew the sport would be a big part of his future. After starting to play at the club level in 2008, he was named to the national team for the first time in 2017. Jackson has since gone on to represent the United States multiple times on the international stage, most recently at the 2022 Wheelchair Rugby World Championships in Denmark where the team claimed silver. As a low-pointer, Jackson is an integral part of the team’s defense, a role that suits him well since he loves the physical, chair-to-chair contact of the game. While he’s proud of all he has accomplished so far in the sport, his sights are set on Paris 2024. When he’s not on the court or training, Jackson loves to garden, play video games, try different restaurants and spend time with his family, including his mother, father and older brother. He also loves to travel as much as possible, an interest that was ingrained in him from an early age. Born in California, Jackson and his family lived in Japan and Texas before settling in Arizona. He started the Joe Jackson Foundation that helps provide adaptive equipment and grants for scuba diving lessons to individuals with spinal cord injuries. In fact, Joe is a certified adaptive scuba instructor!