Regas Woods
Paralympics " Blade Runner " Defies the Odds
by Rhonda Price
Woods is co-founder of the Never Say Never Foundation ( www . neversayneverfoundation . org ) which instills positive and active lifestyles for kids with limb loss . His hometown of Dunnellon , Florida has a Go Fund Me Page at www . gofundme . com / o5nrko to support his training and travel expenses . The Rio International Paralympic Games were held September 7-18 with 4,350 athletes from 160 nations competing in 22 sports .
Many stories abound of athletes sacrificing everything for the sake of competing in high level sports , but few can match the difficult journey of 35-year-old Paralympic track and field competitor Regas Woods . A birth defect prevented the bones in his legs from growing , so both were amputated above the knees when he was three . Nevertheless , he fell in love with track and field when he was 10 and dreamed of competing as an Olympian .
“ Lots of people said I couldn ’ t do it or that I would have to compete in a wheelchair ,” said Woods , a Garden of Life ® brand ambasador . “ I was determined to compete with prosthetics , but I was one of the few people doing it 20 years ago . For my events in the long jump and sprint races , I ’ ve always used a prosthetic that includes a socket , pylon and blades .”
Woods trained hard and pursued his dream for two decades while working full-time at a prosthetics company to support his family . Three years ago he met Paralympics coach Tony McCall , who agreed the goal of competing in the 2016 Paralympics Games was within reach . With perseverance and McCall ’ s guidance , Woods became a member of the U . S . team in 2013 and won gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter sprints and long jump at the 2014 U . S . National Championships . The only thing standing in the way of achieving his dream this year was to qualify for the U . S . Team in Charlotte in July . Unfortunately , that ’ s when fate conspired to throw Woods a few more hard knocks .
“ The prosthetics company I worked for said they couldn ’ t give me any additional time off and they fired me ,” said Woods . “ I was devastated because this was the only job I had ever had and it was the sole means of income to support my family . They tried to pay me to stay quiet , but I refused their offer .”
After losing his job , Woods said he was even more determined and “ tunnel vision ” kept him squarely focused on his goal . He qualified for the 100 and 200 meter sprints in Charlotte , but suffered what could have been a horrible blow in the long jump when a prosthetic blade suddenly ripped apart while he was running . Woods said he vividly recalled how the crowd gasped and then grew quiet after he landed with a thump in the sand .
“ An official ran up to me to see if I was okay . I knew that one of my blades was ruined and there was no time to get another one . It was an awful break , but nothing was going to stop me from jumping again . I was laughing and the official thought I was crazy !”
Showing the same legendary courage gymnast Keri Strug mustered when she hopped on one leg to finish a teamwinning vault in the 1996 Olympics , Woods quickly borrowed a blade from a teammate that didn ’ t come close to fitting him correctly . With one sturdy blade and another wobbly one , he teetered awkwardly down the runway and sailed into the air , landing squarely in the sand . Deafening cheers from the crowd confirmed it was a first place finish and a guarantee he would be going to Rio .
“ My family was there watching and my kids were excited , so there was no way I was going to give up !” Woods said . “ I didn ’ t care if I had to crawl on one leg . Nothing was going to stop me !”
18 Extraordinary Health ™ • Vol 28