"We are very proud of Casey and Jessica for everything they have accomplished athletically and what they have done for Paralympic sport in the United States,” said Charlie Huebner, Chief of U.S. Paralympics. “They are deserving of these awards and being recognized among the world's best athletes."

Long , 15, a bilateral below-the-knee amputee, had a spectacular 2006 season, highlighted by her performance at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa, in December, where she won nine gold medals and set five world records in the S8 classification: 100m freestyle (1:07.03), 400m freestyle (4:53.14), 100m butterfly (1:13.25), 200m Individual Medley (2:43.60) and the 34-point 4x100m freestyle relay.

This year, Long became the first Paralympic athlete to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented to the USA’s best amateur athlete. Long has also been honored as the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2006 Paralympian of the Year and Swimming World Magazine's 2006 Disabled Swimmer of the Year.

Tibbs, the first active duty member of the military to compete in a Paralympic Games, had a banner year in 2006. At the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships in Assen, The Netherlands, Tibbs clinched gold in the men’s T44 (lower leg amputee) pentathlon with 4,248 points. The pentathlon consists of five events: long jump, shot put, 100m, discus and the 400m. Tibbs also won silver in the men’s T44 long jump with a leap of 6.12m.

In addition to his athletic agenda, Tibbs, 26, is a Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, for which he has served since 1999. He currently works at the Naval Medical Center, mentoring amputees returning from the conflict in Iraq. He splits time between the Medical Center and the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center, where he is part of the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field Residence Program.

ESPY Award Winners – Best Athlete with a Disability

2007: Male: Casey Tibbs – Track & Field
Female: Jessica Long - Swimming
2006: Male: Bobby Martin –Football
Female: Sarah Reinerstsen –Triathlon
2005: Male: Marlon Shirley – Track and Field
Female: Erin Popovich – Swimming
2004: Kyle Maynard – Wrestling
2003: Marlon Shirley – Track and Field
2002: Erik Weihenmayer – Mountain Climbing

About U.S. Paralympics:
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics Web site at www.usparalympics.org.