Biography
Started: He took up the sport in the early part of 2014. His first major event was the 2015 Desert Challenge Games in Mesa, AZ, United States of America. (paralympic.org, 20 Jun 2018; Athlete, 25 Oct 2015; inmiddlebury.com, 28 Aug 2015)
Reason: Para athletics was recommended to him by his prosthetist. "Playing [American] football, basketball and lacrosse after my amputation I was never really all that good. It was fun to get back into it but I never could return to how I was before, so to have the opportunity [in Para athletics] to compete internationally is really awesome." (Athlete, 25 Oct 2015; wndu.com, 23 Jul 2015)
Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (teamusa.com, 09 May 2024)
Awards: In 2016 and 2017 he was named US Paralympics High School Male Field Athlete of the Year. (teamusa.org, 19 Oct 2016, 16 Oct 2017)
Additional Info: FURTHER STUDIES
In 2021 he began studying at the University of Michigan Medical School in the United States of America. (Instagram profile, 19 Mar 2021)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In January 2020 he began working as an intern for the University of Michigan's MDisability programme, which was developed to promote the inclusion of people with impairments in healthcare research, education, practice and community engagement. "They [MDisability] really are able to provide a lot of disheartening insight into what medicine is like with a disability. There's just no people with disabilities as doctors. I've never had a doctor myself who has a disability." He served as co-leader of MDisability's 'Staying Fit While Staying Put' project, an eight-week exercise regime designed to help people with impairments exercise at home. (teamusa.org, 01 Sep 2020)
HONORARY TEAM MEMBER
In 2012 he was adopted by the American football team of the University of Notre Dame as he was having treatment for osteosarcoma [bone cancer]. He attended matches and spent time with the team, and travelled with them to the national championship match in Miami, FL, United States of America. (wndu.com, 23 Sep 2013)
Frequently Asked Questions
Personal Details
GenderMale
Birth DateJune 10, 1998
Place of ResidenceANN ARBOR, MI
OccupationAthlete, Student
EducationMedicine - University of Notre Dame, United States
Languages SpokenEnglish
Highlights
| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralympic Games | ||||
| 1 | High Jump - T63 | 2020 | Tokyo, JPN | 1.88 |
| 2 | Men's High Jump T42 | 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, BRA | 1.86 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | High Jump - T63 | 2019 | Dubai, UAE | 1.86 |
| 1 | Men's High Jump T42 | 2017 | London, GBR | 1.86 |
| 1 | Men's High Jump T42 | 2015 | Doha, QAT | 1.81 |
| 3 | High Jump - T63 | 2024 | Kobe, JPN | 1.82 |
