Scout Bassett spent seven years in a government-run orphanage in Nanjing, China after she was abandoned on the side of a street following the loss of her right leg and suffered severe burns from a chemical fire as an infant. Given a makeshift prosthetic leg patched together from leather belts and masking tape, she never stepped outside of the orphanage before being adopted by an American couple from Michigan in 1995.

Still learning the English language, Bassett joined sports as a way to connect with her peers. She tried basketball, softball, golf, and tennis before competitively racing in track & field and triathlons. At 14, she was introduced to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), who gave her a grant to fund her training and equipment. She worked her way to qualify for her first U.S. Paralympic Team in 2016.

Scout is a 7-time National Champion in the 100m. She is currently the World Record holder in the 400m and Americas Record holder in the 200m. She is currently training for the Paralympic Trials in July of this year, in hopes of making the team for Paris 2024.

Off the track, Bassett is the Women’s Sports Foundation Board President, a member of the Gatorade Women’s Advisory Board, and co-host of BBC Sport’s acclaimed podcast ‘On The Podium.’ She was also featured in season 2 of The Greatness Code on Apple TV+, which debuted in May 2022.

Bassett spends time as a mentor, activist for people with disabilities and motivational speaker and is a unique and inspiring role model for all people to dream big and believe. Bassett’s book, LUCKY GIRL, was released in September 2023 alongside the Scout Bassett Fund, which offers financial grants to young athletes with disabilities to support the extensive cost of competing at the elite level.