Ronnie Alsup

Ronnie Eugene Bird Alsup (July 31, 1955 – August 14, 2014) was an American paralympic athlete and standing volleyball player. He competed at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics.

Ronnie Alsup was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the son of Lorene Alsup Watkins. He attended Riverdale High School, from which he graduated in 1973.

After high school, he worked as a watch and timepiece repairman.

As a young man, Ronnie Alsup lost one of his lower legs to surgery for bone cancer. Rather than letting his situation dictate his future or his attitude, Ronnie became the national amputee long jump record holder.

Alsup competed at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, winning two gold medals in athletics. He then competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics, winning two gold medals and a bronze medal in athletics.

Alsup was a member of the United States Amputee Athletic Association.

Ronnie Alsup died on August 14, 2014, at the age of 59, of a heart attack.