Waiting for the 200 meter dash to begin, she jostles her body, shaking it awake and aware for the task at hand, her black and brown ponytail mimicking the movements of her dancing body. She crouches down, her hands walking her legs back until her feet are nestled against the blocks. A shot is fired and she explodes off the block. Coming around the curve after 100 meters, it’s obvious that this is her race. 

The world record for the 200 meter dash is 27.51 seconds. Until now. She crosses the finish line at 27.06, a new world record. She knows she’s done it; her fist reaches up and a tired, happy grin marks her face. She runs her victory lap, an American flag draped across her shoulders, waving to the crowd. 

Waking Up an Amputee
When Paralympian April Holmes woke up in the hospital after a train accident to discover that her left leg was amputated at the knee, she was, in her own words, grateful. Her resilient faith in God made her never question the loss of her leg. Rather, she relished in the fact that she was alive and still had three other fully functioning limbs. 

Nevertheless, when the doctor who amputated her leg introduced her to idea of competitive running in the Paralympics, she thought he was crazy. “Dude,” she told him, “I just lost my leg, and you’re telling me I should run?! I need two legs, not one.” But after further thought, she realized that this was the way she would regain her life.

Paralympics: Watch Out
A runner since age 5, April always had a passion for basketball, but a natural ability for track. She knew that track would be her way to college. She never imagined that she would make a career out of running. But then came the accident, and her doctor’s challenge. Breaking three world records for April was something she knew she could do, and it didn’t take long. It only took a few months after beginning her Paralympics career for her to break the first record. In fact, she has gone back to beat her own world records. She currently holds the world records for the 100, 200, and 400 meter dash.

April trains at the Olympic training center and is given a stipend from the Paralympics to continue running and training. She is the first female athlete, as well as the first track and field athlete to receive a sneaker sponsorship from Jordan shoes. She recently returned from Taiwan for the World Championships. Before that she was in Brazil; before that, Canada; before that, Germany, and so on. 

Disability Perception
During her travels, she’s been encouraged by the fact that cultures across the world don’t treat her much differently due to her disability. In fact, in the U.S., she’s found that people will over-compensate in terms of courtesy. Generally speaking, “I’ve found that if you’re just nice and treat people with respect, you’ll get the same in return.”

April loves running because it allows her to “showcase the talents that God gave me.” She has found that through competing she has had the ability to encourage “a whole lot of people that can’t do a lot of things that I can do.” She speaks about a support group that she joined. Every time she goes, they always ask for an “April update.” At first, she wished that they would talk about something else, but then she realized that the people in the support group live through her in some regards. Now she visits as often as she can and emails updates to this “pretty cool group of people.” 

Helping Others with Disabilities
In fact, April finds the most satisfaction in helping and inspiring others. Out of this passion for helping others, she created the April Holmes Foundation, which is dedicated to helping people “build their dreams.” The foundation helps those with physical and mental disabilities by assisting with funds, materials, or networking.   She says if the Foundation can’t help someone, they will connect the person in need with someone who can.   The Foundation often seeks out candidates, rather than vice versa. 

When asked about her identity as an athlete, April talked about a recent conversation she had had with a fellow athlete. He said, ‘I’m tired of people writing feel-good stories about us. At some point in time, we should be able to make it to ESPN or the sports section, as opposed to the lifestyle section as a feel-good story.’   I said to him, ‘any kind of exposure you get in terms of someone reading your story and moving someone, then that should bring you joy.’ You shouldn’t be specific about where you need to be seen. The rest of the world doesn’t see you as athletes, they see you more as a feel good kind of story, it’s tough, but it’s not going to stop me from doing what I’m doing. At the end of the day, you have to be happy with yourself and look at yourself in the mirror, and I sure hope you don’t depend on what people call you to tell you who you are.”

April is currently enjoying some much-needed rest back at home.  She was recently inducted into the National Black Hall of Fame and is trying her hand at the bittersweet game of golf to keep her active in the off-season.

Her advice to others just beginning the recovery from a disabling accident? “I ask them, ‘what did you love to do before your accident?’ And I tell them to keep doing what they loved to do. It might take some modifying, but you never know what you can do until you try.”

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