Joshua Mark Turek (born April 12, 1979) is a Democratic state representative and two-time Paralympic gold medalist. Born with spina bifida, he was exposed to poverty and relied on public assistance programs growing up. Turek served as a wheelchair basketball player for Team USA at four Summer Paralympics (winning bronze in 2012 and gold in 2016 and 2020). He was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives from the 20th district in 2022 by just six votes after a recount, and was re-elected in 2024 by a wider margin. As the Iowa legislature's first permanently disabled member, Turek represents one of the reddest districts in Iowa where Trump won by 10+ points in 2024, yet he outperformed other Democrats by approximately 14 percentage points in his district.
Turek was born April 12, 1979, with spina bifida linked to his father's Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. He underwent 21 surgeries by age 12. His family relied on public assistance including free summer lunch programs and Area Education Agencies. He competed in wheelchair basketball for Team USA at four Summer Paralympics (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), winning bronze in 2012 and gold medals in 2016 and 2020. He attended the University of Iowa but withdrew to pursue wheelchair basketball professionally overseas before returning to Iowa. He was first elected to the Iowa House District 20 in 2022 by six votes after a recount, representing a district Trump won by 20 points. He was re-elected in 2024 with a larger margin. He is married to Chloe Angyal, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.