April Holmes Video Interview, Paralympic Runner

For U.S. Paralympic athlete April Holmes, a January 2001 train accident, resulting in the amputation of her leg, changed her life forever. A strong track athlete and basketball player, Holmes believed she that would never compete again until her doctor gave her magazines about the Paralympics while she was recuperating in the hospital after the surgery.

“I didn’t know anyone who was a Paralympian,” Holmes told Uinterview exclusively. “I didn’t know anyone missing their leg, and probably the most disabled people I knew were elderly people I saw at the church or malls. When he handed me the magazines and I finally looked at them, I just kept turning the pages and kept saying, ‘I want to do this. I want to represent the U.S. I want to win a gold medal. I want to be the fastest in the world.’ From that day in January of 2001, until now, that has definitely been my focus, to represent the U.S., to be the fastest in the world and to win a gold medal.”

Seven years later at the Beijing Paralympic Games, Holmes won a gold medal in the women’s 100m. Before she won, she made a promise to God that she would show her medal to as many people as she could if he won. It’s a promise she has kept ever since. “I take it so many places, show it to so many people,” she told Uinterview. “In that regard my life has changed, because so many people are like, ‘You’re going to pass your gold medal around to people, let them hold it, let them see it, let them touch it?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ That’s the promise I made to God. If you give it to me, if you bless me, I’ll definitely be a blessing to other people.”

As for Holmes’ motivation, while she acknowledges her role in being an inspiration to people with physical and learning disabilities, her desire to win and compete are just as important. “I also say to myself, when a person stands on top of that podium, there will be a national anthem played. The question is will it be yours?’ So that’s my motivation every day.”

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