Thomas
"Luck plays no part in an athlete’s performance. Practice, sacrifice and heart determine an athlete’s career."
Anyone who knows Thomas also knows these are words by which the thirty-five year old Texan lives. Born without a bone in his lower leg and an amputee by the age of one, Thomas was driven to dedicate the extra time and effort needed to achieve athletic superiority. His hard work paid off.
Fighting debilitating staph infections in his residual limb, and against doctor’s recommendations, the pentathlete won his first Paralympic medal in 1992. One year later he became the U.S. Pentathlon record holder, a title he retains to this day.
Though his athletic prowess is impressive, his commitment to encouraging young amputees to push themselves and accomplish feats they never thought possible is even more notable. Traveling around the country, Thomas often takes time out of his intense training schedule to coach young amputee athletes, as well as to counsel children pre-and post-amputation.
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Thomas’ lower limb prosthetics include Otto Bock Health Care’s revolutionary Harmony® Socket Enhancement System, a prosthetic breakthrough created to improve an amputee’s overall quality of life, expand their physical boundaries and give them back the freedom to live a more active lifestyle. With its one-of-a-kind VASS™ (Vacuum-Assisted Socket System) technology, the Harmony addresses the very common and painful problem for lower limb amputees of residual limb volume fluctuation.
Thomas also wears Otto Bock Health Care’s LuXon™ Max Dynamic Response Foot Pylon System for discus and shot-put events. For running events, Thomas wears the Springlite Sprinter, custom made for the serious track and field athlete.
