Josh George
Sport: Track & Field
Residence: McLean, VA
Josh George has been involved in wheelchair athletics since he was eight years old. His parents, who were looking to keep him active and involved after a spinal cord injury, found a sports program in nearby Baltimore where be became involved in racing, swimming and basketball. George says many athletic opportunities were presented to him as he gained experience athletically.
In 2007, Josh graduated with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Journalism. He continues to concentrate on writing while training full-time as well he is an assistant coach for his alma mater’s wheelchair racing team.
Career Highlights
- 2008: Gold Medal, 100m T53, Silver Medal, 800m T53 - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
- 2007: Gold Medal - Parapan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (wheelchair basketball)
- 2007: World Record, 800m - Meet in the Heat, Atlanta, GA
- 2006: Silver Medal - IWBF Gold Cup (World Championships), Amsterdam, The Netherlands (wheelchair basketball)
- 2006: Gold Medal, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, Silver Medal, 4x100-meter relay - IPC Athletics World Championships, Assen, The Netherlands
- 2005: Gold Medal, All-Star, team co-captain - Junior World Championship, Birmingham, United Kingdom (wheelchair basketball)
- 2004: Two Bronze Medals, 100m, 400m - Paralympic Games, Athens, Greece
- 2003: First Place, wheelchair division - Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL
These achievements have led George’s selection as the recipient of the 2008 ARETE Honors for Courage in Sports Award and cover story profiles by numerous media outlets including the New York Times and the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
Josh works closely with The Hartford, Founding Partner of U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, helping to positively change public attitudes and perceptions about disability. To learn more about Josh, visit his website: www.joshgeorgeracing.com.
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