As a three time Paralympic track medalist who is chasing records in pursuit of capturing Paralympic gold for Canada at a fourth Games, Jason is driven by the desire to leave it all on the track. Sports have been an important part of Jason’s life since before his family immigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland in 1991. Jason along with his two
brothers, Jon and Chris, grew up with a congenital eye condition called Leber’s Amorosis through which they could see only a tiny amount of light; but
this did not prevent them from playing soccer by tying a grocery bag around a soccer ball or from riding bicycles around their neighbourhood. In high school,
Jason participated in cross country running, wrestling, goalball, and track. Out of these sports, he took to running and was encouraged to stick with
it. Training and competing with a guide runner who would run beside him, Jason ran throughout high school and continued in university, qualifying for his
first national team in 1998. Since then, he and his guide, Greg Dailey, have represented Canada on the track at three Paralympic Games, from which they
have brought home one bronze and two silver medals in the T11 1500 metre competition.
With personal bests of 2:00.39 over 800 metres and 4:07.05 for 1500 metres, Greg and Jason are current T11 Canadian and Para PanAmerican record
holders and are within hundredths of seconds of surpassing the longstanding world records in both events. The two have their sites set on competing in London in 2012. But it has not always been a smooth road for Jason, as he and a team mate were seriously injured after being struck by a sport utility vehicle while on a training run in 2005. After a surgery and months of rehabilitation, Jason started back training once again and alongside Greg, was able to eventually re-establish himself as one of the fastest blind runners in the world.
Away from the track, Jason moved to Ottawa in 2003 after graduating from the University of Guelph with a degree in international development. He has been married to his wife and #1 fan, Colleen for five years and they live with their longhaired cat named Gracie. Playing guitar and drinking coffee at a local coffee shop are ways Jason likes to relax when not training. He works at the Active Living Alliance where he coordinates a national campaign called All Abilities Welcome which promotes inclusive recreation among Canadians with a disability. Jason has also been involved recently in launching Achilles Ottawa, a local running club that is evolving as a community of support for blind and visually impaired runners.
Jason has come to realize that success is most meaningful when it can be leveraged to positively impact the people around him. When speaking
at schools and to corporate and government audiences, he draws on his own experiences as an athlete to stress the fact that we are each only a step or two away from achieving success; that as individuals and communities we are made stronger through the encouragement of others and by encouraging others ourselves; that what we see as complex or inasailable challenges present us with unique opportunities; and that Excellence is a reflection of the effort and attention that each of us commits to, rather than the final outcome itself.
