Athens, GA – June 2021: At the recent 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials for cycling, swimming and track and field in Minneapolis, Jarryd Wallace finished first in the 100 meter sprint and will now compete in his third Paralympic Games this summer in Tokyo, Japan.
Wallace ran 10.99 seconds in the 100-meter T64 finals making it the fastest time in the world this year and one that would have won the 31 year old a Silver medal at both the last Paralympic Games and World Championships.
Wallace is a four-time world record-holder, three-time world champion, two-time Paralympian and member of Atlanta Track Club Elite.
He started the “Leg in Faith Foundation” in 2012 that gives grants to amputees 18-year-old and over who are dedicated to becoming future U.S. Paralympians.
Jarryd’s pursuit of world-class athletics took a detour at age 18 when he was diagnosed with compartment syndrome. In what should have been his first year as a Division I athlete, Jarryd faced the stark reality of needing to have his own leg amputated.
Since his amputation, Jarryd has competed in two Paralympic Games, set four world records and become the nation’s fastest amputee. In fact, his speed surpasses that of many professional football running backs. While most people saw tragedy, Jarryd came to understand his circumstances in different terms. Jarryd views life as a process of discovering one’s own potential. And this potential is not defined by stop watches, gold medals or financial windfalls. At the end of the day, Jarryd hopes to look back and feel that he’s given it his all.
Paralympic Experience
- Two-time Paralympian (2012, 2016)
- Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, 5th (100m)
- London 2012 Paralympic Games, 6th (400m)
World Championship Experience
- Most Recent: 2017 – gold (200m), bronze (100m)
- Years of Participation: 2013, 2017
- Medals: 4 (3 gold, 1 bronze)
- Gold – 2017 (200m); 2013 (4x100m, 200m)
- Bronze – 2017 (100m)
ABOUT JARRYD WALLACE
Apart from the fast time, what made Wallace’s first performance with his running blade so spectacular was that it came just 16 months after his lower right leg had been amputated due to compartment syndrome.
Before his diagnosis, Wallace was an accomplished 800m and 1,600m runner and had been offered a scholarship to race for the University of Georgia.
He made his Paralympic debut at London 2012 finishing sixth in the men’s 400m T44; he also raced as part of the U.S. team that was disqualified in the 4x100m T42-46 relay.
At the 2013 World Championships in Lyon, France, he came of age winning two gold medals and smashing three world records. For his achievements, he was named Male Para athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field.
On his way to gold in the 200m T44, the Athens-born native smashed the world record both in qualifying and in the final, lowering the time to 22.08.
At the Parapan Am Games in 2015, Wallace made his mark once again, this time in the men’s 100m T44, where he smashed the world record previously held to take gold in Canada in a time of 10.71.
Throughout the year, the American had been in superb form, consistently clocking under 11 seconds. However, at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games he ran 11.16, one of his slowest times of the year, to finish fifth in the 100m T44 final. To add to his misery, Wallace and his teammates were disqualified from the men’s sprint relay.
Despite arriving at his second Paralympics as a strong favorite for 100m T44 gold, Wallace failed to medal.
However, the American was determined to put that disappointment behind him – and he did just that, sitting at the top of the 2017 world rankings in the 200m T44 for much of the year before claiming 200m T44 gold at London 2017 in 22.37. He also won bronze in the 100m T44 in 10.95.
As a Team Toyota Athlete
Jarryd’s first encounter with Toyota, long before he joined the national Team Toyota roster, was when he drove his first car―a 1996 Toyota Corolla. Now, he enjoys driving his dream car, a white Toyota Tundra. While he loves Toyota vehicles, his journey with Toyota actually started years ago, when he was first introduced to Toyota during an event hosted by the company who designs his prosthetic leg. “It just clicked right away. I love being part of the Toyota family and they’ve also become part of my family.”
He strongly supports Toyota’s mission in becoming a mobility company. “The decision to evolve to [become a] mobility company is mind blowing. They’re driven by Paralympics and it is like [it is] in their heartbeat. To me, mobility is a freedom to make a choice and is an extremely inclusive concept in giving everyone the opportunity. A company with global impact is making the change, like me having a big dream, and we just go for it. It feels like we shared a similar approach and passion. Especially the core value [of] Kaizen; to me, it is [the] desire to improve and become better.”
Being a person who loves a challenge, Jarryd also spoke about the Start Your Impossible (SYI) spirit he shares with Toyota.
“I am someone who likes to go after the impossible. The use of the word “start” in Start Your Impossible is a disarming perspective, because a lot of the time people have big dreams but don’t know whether they can achieve it. We’ll never be able to do it unless we start it. The idea of starting takes away all pressure and gives it the freedom to do it.”
“I start my impossible every day. When I had my leg amputated and I dreamed of being a Paralympian, that was me starting my impossible. Now I want to start my impossible by being a Paralympic medalist. That is a goal of mine every day I wake up.”
“Toward Tokyo 2020, Toyota has done much to support the Paralympics as a whole; it goes beyond just supporting sports, challenging everyone to join the journey, and leading by example, giving me the opportunity to start my impossible.”
Toyota Supports U.S. Paralympic Movement and Paralympic Athletes
And to people with impairment he was even bolder: “Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself; don’t be afraid to dream the impossible!”
To further support Team USA’s Paralympic athletes as they pursue their sport dreams and in partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Toyota made history with the creation of nearly $5 million in stipend and sponsorship opportunities that will directly impact the lives of eligible U.S. Paralympic athletes aiming to compete at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 or the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
This video news feed is free to use without any usage restrictions, fees or obligations for regularly scheduled news, business, lifestyle & sports TV programs and its directly related websites platforms only (any other intended uses requires written permission) covering Team Toyota athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Games – and includes:
– Profile of US Paralympic Champion Jarryd Wallace
– A Day Training with Jarryd at the University of Georgia
– Soundbites with: Jarryd Wallace / Paralympian Athlete
Jeff Wallace / Jarryd’s Father
Jack Hollis, Senior Vice President, Automotive Operations Group, Toyota Motor North America
