Blake Leeper
Ep. 25 — A double-leg amputee with a love for running beats back a cocaine addiction and battles Olympic bureaucracy in his quest to become the fastest runner in the world / Blake Leeper, Eight-Time Paralympic Medalist. and 2020 Summer Olympics Aspirant Born without legs from a congenital birth defect, Blake Leeper discovered his mission and passion in life when he watched South African Paralympic champion sprinter Oscar Pistorius competing in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. It triggered in Leeper a deep desire to run, despite being a double-leg amputee. “They were saying, ‘Look how this man born without legs...’ I feel like they were talking about me but there were talking about him of course. I was just like, shocked, I was amazed,” remembers Leeper. I was like, ‘Wow, there's something for me.’ And the crowd of Beijing was 90,000 people and they were cheering. It was just a spark of inspiration that was planted inside of me that even though I never ran track and field a day in my life I just felt and knew that's what I need to do with my life.” Leeper got running blades like Pistorius's and began racing in 2010. With grit and endurance, he became an eight-time Paralympic medalist representing the United States. But just as Leeper hit his stride professionally, he entered a dark period in his personal life. He tested positive for cocaine and was banned from competing for nearly two years. It was a devastating blow. But today, at age 26, Leeper says he's back on track, running faster than ever, training better than ever and with one clear goal, to become the fastest runner in the world. That’s easier said than done. Leeper is struggling to qualify for future Paralympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo because of a dispute over whether his running blades give him an unfair height and speed advantage over able-bodied runners. Leeper is fighting back with the same legal team that helped Pistorius qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Don’t miss this fascinating episode with a very different type of Blade Runner. #Leadership #WhatInspiresMe #Success #WhenItMattered Tanscript Download the PDF Chitra Ragavan: Although he was born without legs from a congenital birth defect, Blake Leeper has never allowed that to prevent him from winning in sports. When Leeper was a teenager, he watched South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. It triggered in him a deep desire to run. Leeper began racing in 2010. Since then he has become an eight-time Paralympic track and field international medalist. He holds many world records, including the sixth-fastest runner in the world in the 400-meter dash. Chitra Ragavan: Hello everyone, I'm Chitra Ragavan and this is When It Mattered. This episode is brought to you by Goodstory, an advisory firm helping technology startups find their narrative. I'm joined today by Blake Leeper, who at age 26 has ambitious goals to become one of the fastest runners in the world. But Leeper is struggling to compete in the Paralympics and get accepted into the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. International racing authorities say his running blades give him an unfair height and speed advantage over able-bodied runners. It's a fight he's determined to win. Chitra Ragavan: Blake, welcome to the podcast. Blake Leeper: Thank you so much for having me. It is an honor and a pleasure, and just thank you so much for allowing me to share my story and just some of the things I've been through in my life that allow me to be in the situation that I am in today. Chitra Ragavan: You were born with this extraordinary challenge of being a double amputee, yet you've never let it get in the way. How did you overcome those early years of adversity to start participating both is sports and in life? Blake Leeper: I really give it to my parents, my family members. I grew up in East Tennessee, and I had an older Brother,