Inspiration Is “Gold” For Local Paralympian

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Jerome Singleton is best known as the “fastest man on one leg.” “You want to create a story. It’s not about you,” said Singleton, an Irmo resident. “It’s about the story, so when somebody looks at it, they know they can do it.” Jerome has never run from anything in his life. “If you aim for the moon, you’re always going to hit the stars.” But, he keeps on running. “Jerome purely competes to do something that has never been done before,” said USC track coach and Jerome’s mentor, Curtis Frye. When he was just a baby, a birth defect forced doctors to amputate Jerome’s right leg from the knee down. Today he is known as the fastest amputee on the planet. Next month, Jerome will compete in his second Paralympic Games in London. “To have a guy that can set a world record and be the first American gold medalist in the 100-meters – his aspirations to have those things without me motivating him was refreshing for me,” said Frye. Jerome is already a two-time medalist back when he competed in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. He has the gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay and the silver in the 100-meter sprint. And, while Jerome hopes to bring home some more hardware, he hopes the story he’s created will lead others to their own personal victory. “Life can be viewed in two ways. An example, or a warning. We can watch the news every day, and see what we shouldn’t do – we see these warnings. But, we have to look to ourselves to provide that example for the next person to follow.”