She is a world-renowned athlete who is also making an impact as a professional speaker. Her motivational and powerful presentations have been lauded by CEO's of corporate and non-profit enterprises, the U.S. government, and all levels of the education system.

Jean is an Olympian, Paralympian, author and advocate for persons with disabilities around the world. Her high impact messages hit audiences with such passion that people are often talking about her for months and years after they have heard her. This is why the US Army, Nike, Lucent Technologies, Easter Seals and hundreds of other companies and organizations have chosen Jean to motivate their employees, executives and convention attendees for more than a dozen years. It is also why companies like Ocean Spray, United Airlines and Litehouse Foods chose Jean as their corporate spokesperson.

Jean was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that resulted in the improper development of her spine. Despite this fact, she is the only athlete in any division to ever win the Boston Marathon eight times. During her career as an elite wheelchair racer, Jean won two Olympic silver medals, twelve Paralympic medals and numerous prestigious awards, including the Women's Sports Foundation's Sportswoman of the Year in 1991. Others being considered for the award that year were highly acclaimed Kristi Yamaguchi and Olympian, Lynn Jennings. In 2000, Jean was voted #25 of the Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated for Women, a list topped by the Olympic track and field sensation, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. In 2003 Jean was named Godmother of Royal Caribbean International's Voyager Class ship, Mariner of the Seas.

Jean has earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Illinois and resides in Champaign, IL.