Skip to main content
12221
Back to International Paralympic Committee homepage Go to
Contrast:
High Contrast
Normal Contrast
Enlargement:
Larger Font Size
Default Font Size
Smaller Font Size
    • Home
    • News
    • Athletes
    • Schedule/Results
    • Tickets
    • Countries
    • Samsung Bloggers
    • Fan Zone
    • Watch
    • Sports
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Instagram

    World champion Josh George hungry for success at Rio 2016

    16.02.2015

    US wheelchair racer has put basketball career on backburner to focus on adding to his five Paralympic Games athletics medals in Brazil.

    By Rio 2016
    Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker

    “I love the energy of this city and if all goes well, in 2016, I will top the podium and win a gold medal."

    After winning gold in wheelchair basketball the last time he took part in a major event in Rio, Brazil, the USA’s Josh George is hoping for more titles next year, but this time in wheelchair racing.

    George is one of the world’s leading wheelchair athletes having won five world titles and five Paralympic Games medals ranging from 100m to 800m T53. However, the 30-year-old also used to be a top class wheelchair basketballer and took gold with team USA at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio.

    He now wants more success in 2016.

    “I can’t wait to compete in Rio,” George told rio2016.com on a recent visit to the city. “I love the energy of this city and if all goes well, in 2016, I will top the podium and win a gold medal.

    “I have kept on competing because I want to see how far I can go and how fast I can go. Every day I try to realise my maximum potential and I can feel I’m getting better, but I’m still not there. It’s an addictive feeling.”

    George, who hopes to compete in the 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m in Rio, decided to focus on the track after winning wheelchair basketball gold at the 2007 Parapan-American Games. He had already won two track bronze medals (100m and 400m) on his Paralympic Games debut, at Athens 2004, before a hectic 2006 saw him help the USA to silver at the 2006 wheelchair basketball world championships, plus help himself to four golds at the IPC Athletics World Championships. At the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games he won gold and silver medals in the 100m and 800m respectively, adding another bronze in the 800m at London 2012, plus 800m gold at the 2013 World Championships for good measure.

    Favourite sports

    George explained that his two favourite sports present different challenges and rewards. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always played wheelchair sports,” he said. “Basketball and running are my favourites and I always got something different from each of them. In basketball, I learned a lot about teamwork, whereas running is much more about what my body is capable of.”

    George was in Rio towards the end of 2014 with Olympic sprint star Allyson Felix to participate in a series of clinics to promote sports in under-privileged communities, part of the US State Department’s Sports Envoy programme. And he was delighted to be back in town.

    “It’s very exciting to feel the energy of this city’s people again,” he said. “The fans here are always so involved in sport and celebrate competitions in their own unique way. Some of the matches I competed in here were the best in my entire career. I remember one match against Brazil with the stands crowded with fans shouting at full force, singing and dancing, and it was an incredible atmosphere to experience, even though most of them were cheering for our opponents, obviously.”

    George also works as a journalist, blogger and motivational speaker – and he certainly has an inspirational story of overcoming challenges to tell. At the age of four, he fell from his 12th floor bedroom window. Doctors considered it a miracle that he not only survived, but learned to interpret his impairment as simply being a different way of doing things.

    “Anyone with an impairment should always believe that they can achieve anything they want, just like anybody else,” he said. “You may have to do some things differently from other people to succeed. For instance, instead of walking from A to B, I use a wheelchair. But with a little creativity, everything is possible.”

    Postive outlook

    According to Josh, his positive outlook is the result of the education he received at home since he was a child. “I believe that what made the greatest difference for me was that my parents never treated me any differently from my brothers. I had all the opportunities, just like them, to grow up and win through in life. Since they treated me as though my impairment was no big deal, I had the same attitude.”

    George was recently named as part of the USA’s nine strong team for the 2015 IPC Athletics Marathon World Championships which will take place in London on Sunday 26 April. He is also likely to compete at October’s IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

    The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will take place between 7-18 September 2016.

    • Tweet
      • print
      • send
    LATEST NEWS
    Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation 05.08.2019 Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation
    Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude 05.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude
    Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day 04.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day
    Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way 03.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way
    Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month 02.08.2019 Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month
    More news...following the link
    Worldwide Paralympic Partners
    Go to Atos partner page
    Go to Bridgestone partner page
    Go to OttoBock partner page
    Go to Panasonic partner page
    Go to Samsung partner page
    Go to Toyota partner page
    Go to Visa partner page
    International Partners
    Go to Allianz partner page
    Go to BP partner page
    Go to Citi partner page
    • FAQ
    • Privacy
    • Imprint
    • Jobs
    Powered by Go to Atos. Worldwide IPC partner page
    The Paralympic Games
    Summer Games
    Winter Games
    Sochi 2014
    Rio 2016
    All the results & medallist since 1960
    Games video archive
    About the IPC
    Who we are
    Anti-Doping
    Medical
    Partners
    IPC Strategic Plan 2015-2018
    IPC Handbook
    Publications and Documents
    Media Centre
    News
    Features & Interviews
    The Paralympian
    Videos
    Athlete of the Month
    Media Office
    Sports
    Summer Sports
    Winter Sports
    Biographies
    NPCS
    Africa
    America
    Asia
    Europe
    Oceania
    Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage
    Official Website of the Paralympic Movement • IPC
    Homepage
    Paralympic Games
    The IPC
    Results, Ranking & Records
    Media Centre
    Videos
    Sports
    International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
    Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Telephone: +49-228-2097-200 • Fax: +49-228-2097-209 • E-mail: info@paralympic.org
    21:05:16