Noelle Malkamaki (néeDeJaynes; born January 9, 2001) is an American track and field athlete competing in shot put. She represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, winning a gold medal in shot put and setting a new world record.
Early life and education
Noelle DeJaynes was born in Decatur, Illinois, to Christopher and Sara DeJaynes.[1] She was born with a congenital birth defect, amniotic band syndrome, which prevented her right hand from developing.[2] She has one sister, Caley.[1]
DeJaynes graduated from St. Teresa High School in 2019, where she participated in volleyball and track and field. During her junior and senior year she helped St. Teresa finish in third place at the Illinois State 1A High School Championships.[3]
Following high school graduation she attended DePaul University, where she competed in track and field.[4][5] She graduated from DePaul in December 2023 with a degree in English literary studies.[6]
Career
DeJaynes’ first outdoor track and field season at DePaul University was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[6] After getting married in July 2020, she started competing as Noelle Malkamaki.[6]
At the 2022 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, Malkamaki won her first national title and set an American record in the shot put with a throw of 12.18 m (39 ft 11+1⁄2 in).[7] In 2023, she won her second national title and set a new world record of 12.63 m (41 ft 5 in).[8]
In July 2024, during the U.S. Paralympic Trials, she set a new world record throw of 13.60 m (44 ft 7+1⁄4 in), and qualified to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[13][14][15] At the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, she won a gold medal in the shot put F46 event with a world record throw of 14.06 m (46 ft 1+1⁄2 in).[16][17]
Malkamaki in 2024
Personal life
Malkamaki married her high school sweetheart Robert Malkamaki in July 2020.[6]
