Jackson Atwood

Redefining Greatness

Going further, pushing harder, passing faster, and shooting farther are the keys to this parathlete’s success.

Jackson Atwood gets a lot of curious looks. He handles each one with the grace and poise of the true champion that he is. Jackson was born with a birth defect called proximal femoral focal discrepancy with minor spina bifida that resulted in an amputation and what Jackson refers to as his “robot leg.” Being different has not kept him from being a scholar, a leader, a volunteer, and a gold medalist several times over. And it certainly hasn’t kept him from sharing his story. “I tear down the walls of assumptions,” he says. “My favorite part of being differently abled: I help make the world more accepting of people like me.”

Jackson is doing just that, one victory at a time. He competes as both a basketball player and a runner. “I still remember the smile on my face after I made my first basket in my wheelchair. At that moment, I realized that I did not need to prove myself to others. I am fully capable of greatness!” Since then, Jackson has competed in the 2017 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, earned a gold in the 200m at the 2018 Arizona Grand Prix, and taken home three golds and a bronze at the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championships in Switzerland. Jackson is most proud of qualifying for the 2019 Parapan American games in Lima, Peru, adding to his impressive list of accolades the distinction of being the youngest male T54 classification athlete on record to compete.

When Jackson isn’t traveling the globe racking up more wins or pushing himself through rigorous training and physical therapy sessions, he serves as an ambassador for differently-abled athletes by volunteering at ParaSport Spokane, where he supports and encourages others to embrace their challenges and achieve excellence. In addition, he gives time to the Lilac Bloomsday Association and the Northwest Council for Computer Education and he works hard to maintain a solid GPA while taking a rigorous course load. He does all of this while keeping his sights set on the Tokyo 21 Paralympic Games. “I was raised to not let my physical disability affect who I am or what I want to do,” he says. And now, what he wants most is to become the youngest T54 American in the history of the games. With his relentless drive and unparalleled grit, he has everything it takes to make his dreams a reality.