His arm became paralyzed at age 12 … Jason Lester grew up in Arizona. As the Arizona Republic reported, Lester was riding his bike when a woman, “driving 70 mph, ran a red light and struck him, throwing Lester nearly 130 feet. The car sped away, leaving Lester to die.” Incredibly, he lived, but had more than 20 broken bones, a collapsed lung and a broken collar bone. It took him three months in the hospital to recover, and he lost the use of his right arm. Then, just a few months later, Lester’s father (and sole guardian) died of a heart attack at the age 39. As Lester was quoted in the article, “I remember looking out the window — we were on the third or fourth floor — thinking I should just jump.”
Became a triathlete … Lester could’ve easily given up, but his dad had taught him to never quit. In high school, Lester ran cross country and track, and his chemistry teacher told him about the Ironman. By the time he was 16, he was already competing in biathlons, but it wasn’t until 2004, when he visited Hawaii’s Big Island and saw the Hawaiian Ironman Championships that he knew he had to do it. Not only has he since done multiple Ironman competitions, but in 2008, he became the first physically challenged athlete to compete in the Ultraman World Championships, which is like two Ironman competitions in one: a 6.2-mile swim (and Lester, mind you, with just one functioning arm), biking 261.4 miles and running 52.4 miles, or two marathons. He’s even completed the EPIC5, which is five triathlons on five different Hawaiian islands in less than a week.
Won a 2009 ESPY … In July 2009, at ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards honoring the best in sports, Lester won the award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability. In addition, he tries to help others. In 2007, he founded the NEVER STOP Foundation, “dedicated to using athletics as a tool to encourage all youth, to have the chance to achieve their full potential.” Proceeds from the foundation will help build the Never Stop Performance Center on the Big Island by 2012. And this week, his book Running on Faith: The Principles, Passion and Pursuit of a Winning Life was released, aiming to help people overcome adversity and achieve their dreams.
Screengrab by InspirePictures via YouTube.