FDR Training 2020

John Register
Paralympic Silver Medalist, International Keynote and TEDx Speaker



A gifted college athlete and U.S. Army Veteran, John Register qualified for the 1988 Olympic trials in Track. He seemed destined to compete as a member of the 1996 Olympic Team. In May 1994, however, his life would be forever altered with one misstep over the hurdle. A faulty landing hyper-extended John’s left knee, resulting in a severed artery. An attempt to reconstruct the artery failed; within days, gangrene turned the muscle black, and amputation was suggested. The alternative was a useless left knee and ankle, which would restrict his movements to a wheelchair for mobility. John refused to be stopped by the injury. With a strong faith in Christ and the support of his wife Alice, he chose amputation, and through the use of a prosthetic leg, he walked again – and eventually ran. During his long journey to recovery, John began using sports as a conduit to rehabilitation. After only 18 months of rehabilitation and training, John qualified for – and made – the 1996 Paralympic Team, competing in Atlanta, Ga. in the 50m freestyle. He also competed in the finals of the 4x400m-medley relay, swimming the anchor. While watching his first Paralympics, John observed athletes with one leg running and jumping on the track. An idea was birthed, and after being fitted with a running prosthesis, he set a goal of competing in track and field at the 2000 Paralympic Games, in Sydney, Australia. Two years after his first run with an artificial leg, he earned the Silver medal in the long jump at the 2000 Paralympic Games and set the American long jump record with a distance of 5.41 meters. He also sprinted to 5th place in both the 100 and 200m dashes. In 2003, John accepted a position with the U.S. Olympic Committee, and birthed the USOC Paralympic Military Program, which uses sports to assist in the recovery of wounded, ill or injured service members. The program serves both active duty and retired military personnel and has impacted thousands in creating their new normal.

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