|
|
| |
Biography
It was just another ordinary day for 4-year
old Josh George as he played in the bedroom of his 12-story
apartment. He loved to spend his free time in this way, enjoying
the solitude of his own personal space as he played some of his
favorite games. Little did he know that this day, an otherwise
normal day in his life, would be transformed into a tragic set
of circumstances . . . a day, however, that would ultimately
reveal a life destined for greatness.
Caught up in the excitement of his game, Josh
slipped and fell out of his bedroom window, tumbling 120 feet to
the street below. In most cases, this is where the story would
end. However, for Josh, this is where the story begins.
Days later, with all odds against his
survival, Josh lay in his hospital bed cloaked in a full body
cast with his doctors and loved ones by his side. Although awed
by his survival to this point, nobody understood the incredibly
rousing story of success on the horizon.
His doctors proclaimed him a “living miracle”
when they realized that Josh was going to survive the fall. They
told his parents that he was an emotional inspiration after
realizing that his happy-go-lucky attitude was not tarnished by
the accident. But even in their wildest dreams, nobody could
predict the extent to which Josh would thrive in life – most
surprisingly, as a world class athlete.
After his accident, Josh’s parents treated him
like any other child. They instilled in him the notion of
independence, reinforcing a “can do” attitude. Empowered by this
phenomenal attribute, at the age of six, Josh told his parents
that he was an athlete and wanted to play sports.
 And
the rest is history . . .
Nourished by society’s doubts, Josh’s
persistence enabled him to become one of the most elite
internationally-known athletes. Arguably the best wheelchair
athlete in the world, this remarkable paralympian and ESPYs
finalist is a World Champion and World Record Holder in several
sports. Considered by many to be unstoppable on his path to
greatness, Josh has been recognized worldwide in the sports of
Track & Field, Marathon Racing and Basketball.
Among his many athletic achievements,
Josh has held World Records in the 100 meter and 800 meter races,
and won four GOLD medals at the 2006 World Championships in the
Netherlands (100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and 800 meters).
He has been crowned the Chicago Marathon Champion three times
(2003, 2004 and 2006), won two bronze medals at the 2004
Paralympic Games in Athens and brought home GOLD
for the United States
basketball team as a starting guard at the 2008 Parapan Games in
Brazil. These achievements have
led to cover story profiles by numerous media outlets, including
the New York Times
and The CBS Evening News with Katie
Couric.
Josh’s accomplishments
also extend to the classroom. In 2007, Josh graduated with
honors from the University of Illinois with a degree in
Journalism and continues to concentrate on writing projects
while training full-time and participating with his alma mater’s
wheelchair racing team as a volunteer assistant coach.
Josh is thankful for all
of the encouragement he has received from his family, friends
and fans over the years. His triumphs are the result of hard
work, dedication and unwavering support offered by his family
members and friends.
|
|
