About Hometown Hopefuls Hometown Hopefuls follows Atlanta Track Club Elite Team members Abe Alvarado, Brandon Lasater, Keturah Orji, Yolanda Ngarambe, Jarryd Wallace and Allie Wilson as they continue their journey toward Olympic glory. Be there every step of the way from training camp to the Olympic Trials and to Tokyo with every workout, every split, athlete reflections and coaches' comments too. Six athletes. Six months. Six shots.
Name: Jarryd Wallace
Primary Event: 100m, 200m, 4x100m, Long Jump
College: University of Georgia
Instagram: @wallace_jarryd
Twitter: @wallace_jarryd
Introduction
One of the first things you may notice when you follow me on social media, or if you get to see me run, is that I am missing one of my legs. At 30 years old now, I haven't always been an amputee. At 17 years old I had an elective surgery following a nagging running injury - compartment syndrome. Unfortunately, complications in that surgery sent me down a long road of rehab and a total of 10 surgeries. At the end of that road, I found myself in constant pain, addicted to medication, and a total loss of self worth and value. I was faced with a decision, live the rest of my life in pain and very limited mobility, or electively have my leg amputated. Although the thought of amputation made me a little nervous, the thought of living the rest of my life in pain was unfathomable. After months of preparation, both mentally and physically, on June 22, 2010 I had my leg amputated below the knee. Six weeks later I was walking pain free for the first time in years, and three months later I got my first running leg. At the one year post-op date I competed at my first US National Championships where I qualified for the ParaPan American games in the 100m. At that race, I won my first international Gold Medal and ran the fastest time in the world that year in the 100m. Since then I have made every World Championship and Paralympic Team and am a 3x World Champion and 4x World Record Holder. After a devastating disqualification after winning a Paralympic Gold and breaking another WR - all eyes are set on Tokyo for the only Gold medal that has eluded me during my career.
To learn more about Jarryd Wallace click here.
Jarryd Wallace checks in from Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Paralympic Games where he will compete for his first Paralympic medal in the 100m T64 and 200m T64 with the first rounds of those events taking place on Sunday, August 29 at 6:20am and Friday, September 3 at 8:50pm, respectively.
For the full Paralympics schedule click here.
