Shirley Reilly

Early life Reilly was born in Anchorage, Alaska.

Career She moved to California and graduated from a school in Los Gatos in 2003. Reilly took part in competitive sports at high school and focused on track athletics. She competed in the 2002 IWAS World Games and achieved her aim of participating in the Summer Paralympics at the 2004 Athens Games.

Reilly began to move towards road events thereafter, particularly the marathon. She was runner-up in the wheelchair section of the Los Angeles Marathon in 2005 and returned to following year to win the race. She came fourth in the wheelchair race at the Peachtree 10K in 2008. In her second Paralympic appearance, she competed in the 1500 metres, 5000 metres and the marathon (finishing seventh in the latter event). Later that month she took part in the London Marathon for the first time and came in fourth after Canada's Diane Roy.

Personal life Reilly is of Iñupiat heritage.