AT A GLANCE
Sport
Para Track and Field
Hometown
Oklahoma City, OK
Current Residence
Chula Vista, CA
Olympic Medals
0
2
0
About Derek
- Earned All-Conference, All-District, and Class 6A All-Star honors as a defensive back at Westmoore High School before continuing his football career at the University of Central Oklahoma
- In 2018, while playing for UCO, he was involved in a train accident that resulted in the amputation of his left foot. He returned to football after his accident, and played with a prosthetic leg
- Recruited by U.S. Para Track & Field in 2021
- Graduated in 2022 from the University of Central Oklahoma and moved to California to train full-time at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Chula Vista as part of the sport’s development program
- Selected to represent the United States at the 2023 Para Athletics World Championships where he made his international debut and earned a silver medal
- Participated at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships again representing the United States
- Competed in the 100-meter dash, high jump, long jump, and javelin throw at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
- Achieved the first-ever 2.04-meter-high jump by a T64 athlete at a World Para Athletics Championship
- Named San Diego Sports Association 2024 Challenged Athlete of the Year
- Classification: T64
IN THE NEWS
Accolades
- 1x Paralympian (2024)
- Long jump, high jump, javelin, 100m
- 2x Paralympic medalist
- 2024: silver, high jump; silver, long jump; 10th, javelin; 11th, 100m
- 4x World Championship medalist
- 2024: silver, high jump; silver, long jump; bronze, 100m; 8th, javelin
- 2023: silver, long jump
MEDIA
GAllery
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