Going for gold

Times Reporter

 

Being a motivational speaker and helping people forget about limitations doesn’t seem to be enough for Strathmore resident Cory Johnson. He also practices what he preaches. He is in the running to be Canada’s Next Top Comic, has plans to write a children’s book, and this past summer he broke the Canadian 100 metre record.  

Johnson hit the track in March running to get into shape and see where it would take him. At the end of the summer Johnson broke the Canadian record for the 100-metre sprint for people with his kind of Cerebral Palsy, something even he was amazed by. 

“Because I’m now a Canadian record holder I am now considered a national athlete,” said Johnson.

“The government is going start helping me out eventually, financially and be able to cover some of the expenses, but that won’t be another year or so.”

In North America Johnson is in sixth place for track and field, and said in the world he is ranked 30th. His goal now is to compete in the 2012 Paralympics in London. To qualify Johnson has to get less than 14.7 seconds, and his record breaking run was 15.73.  When he set the record he didn’t do any strength training or flexibility training, something he plans to focus on over the next few months before heading to Nationals in June. 

“I want to win gold medals for Canada, whether it’s in the Paralympics or the Commonwealth Games,” said Johnson.