Competing for a spot in the Paralympic Nationals

Times Reporter 

 

It was only in March 2011 when Johnson laced up his runners and hit the track. Shortly after beginning to run, he broke the Canadian record for the 100-metre sprint. In May, Johnson, who has Cerebral Palsy, was at it again when he set the record for the 200-metre, breaking the previous record by 3.2 seconds. The previous record was 22-years-old. Johnson’s record breaking run left him only 1.7 seconds away from qualifying for the Paralympic Nationals. 

“My goal is to make the International B Standards. So they have A Standards and B Standards, and for B Standards if you make the minimum qualifying times for the Olympics, if I can meet those then I can say I have done what I needed to do to qualify for the Olympics,” said Johnson.

“But it doesn’t necessarily mean that I will actually get to go because Canada doesn’t have very many spots available so they need to take the best of the best. Canada sets their standards way higher, their standards are like 12.45 and the Olympic standards are 14.7. So I’m aiming for 14.7.”

Johnson has one last chance to qualify for Nationals with the 200-metre sprint, which is on June 23 in St. Albert. He said it is tough to go all that way to qualify for Nationals knowing he won’t make it to the Paralympics. 

Last year the focus was on learning trying to find his stride, and get the basics down. Now he is spending three to five days a week in Calgary training with his coach Jason at either the Foothills or Glenmore Athletic Parks. Running and pushing to go further every time is a passion for Johnson, and not something he plans to give up soon. 

“I have an opportunity to represent Canada next year in the International Track and Field Games and then I have an opportunity for 2015 for the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Am Games,” said Johnson. 

“So I want to be in it until at least 2015 so I can get a chance to represent Canada on an International level.”

Johnson is enjoying aiming for the Paralympics so much that he is already considering a new challenge. He is thinking of trying out for the Canadian Para bobsled team this summer because he would be the only push athlete as of right now, and then he can be involved with both the winter and the summer Paralympics.