April Holmes
About a week after her leg was amputated, the doctor who did Holmes’ emergency surgery visited her in the physical rehabilitation center, bringing along magazines featuring the Paralympics.
As she read about the Games, Holmes decided then and there upon three goals: to represent the United States at the 2004 Paralympic Games; win gold; and be the fastest Paralympic athlete in the world.
“The second I started looking at the magazines, I thought, ‘Okay. Here’s three dreams, because this is going to help you move along in life, as opposed to sitting still,’” Holmes said.
Since then, she has surpassed those goals, and her own personal bests, many times over. For her successes, she is being honored by the NCAA today at its national convention with the 2015 Inspiration Award, given annually to an outstanding and motivational current or former varsity athlete, coach, or administrator associated with the NCAA.
Holmes won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 2004 Athens Olympics; gold for the 100 meters in Beijing and 2008; and a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the 2012 London Games.
“I used to love the 400 when I was in college, but I don’t love that anymore. It only seems like a whole lot of running to me nowadays,” Holmes said with characteristic modesty. “These days I just really love the 100 meters.”
