Interview with Josh George

By Cecil Harris

Josh George has been called “the future of wheelchair racing” by one of his chief competitors. One look at his resume shows why: three Chicago Marathon titles; gold in the 100 meters and silver in the 800 meters at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing; two bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympics; gold medals in the 100, 200, 400, and 800 meters at the 2006 World Championships; and three world records. And he’s still only 24.

George will compete Sunday in his third ING New York City Marathon, having finished sixth last year despite a flat tire. The native of Fairfax, VA, has long displayed courage in the face of adversity. At age 4, he suffered paralysis from the chest down after falling from a 12th-floor window. His survival prompted one doctor to call him “a living miracle.”

At 98 pounds, George has powerful arms and shoulders that give him a higher strength-to-weight ratio than his peers. He has trained more than 100 miles a week to try to add a New York title to his impressive list of achievements.   

New York Road Runners: Congratulations on being one of this year’s recipients of the Arete Award for Courage in Sports.
Josh George: Thank you. When my manager [M. Quentin Williams] called me in July and told me I had won, it felt great. I still feel like my name doesn’t deserve to be mentioned alongside [past winners] Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, and Lance Armstrong, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless.

NYRR: You’re coming to New York on an emotional high after winning a gold medal in the Paralympics 100-meters in Beijing. What was that experience like?
JG: It was a huge thrill. The 100 was my last race on the track, and my last realistic chance to win a gold medal. I let out a big sigh of relief when I crossed that finish line. My parents made the trip, which made it even more special. It made me shiver a little bit during the medal ceremony when I had the gold medal around my neck and they were raising the American flag and playing the national anthem. It’s one of those feelings that keeps me going on those hard training days, knowing that this is why I train so hard, to have moments like the one at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing.

NYRR: Kurt Fearnley, who is going for his third consecutive ING New York City Marathon title, says you are the future of wheelchair racing. What’s your reaction to that?
JG: [Laughs] I’m completely flattered that he would say that. Hopefully, I’ll live up to that statement. It’s definitely my goal to continue to improve, and I feel like my career is just beginning. There are still things that I have yet to accomplish. I’m focusing more on my training for the longer races—the 5000, the 10K, and the marathon. Hopefully, that will pay off and I’ll have more success in the longer races in the next several years.

NYRR: Is there a difference for you mentally competing in shorter races as opposed to the marathon?
JG: The mentality is completely different in the marathon. When I’m in a marathon, I’m thinking strictly about race strategy. I’m thinking, ‘These athletes are going to be in the lead pack, these are their strengths, this is what I’m going to have to do to counter their attacks, these are the parts of the course that I need to be focusing on to plan my attacks.’ Whereas in the sprints, you really focus more internally the entire race because none of the other athletes have any effect on your race. You’re in your own lane running your own race. In a way, that’s harder because it puts more pressure on you. You can’t afford a mistake because the race is so short.

NYRR: Still, you set a Paralympics record in the 100 [14.79 seconds]. And you just missed the world record.   
JG: I was four-hundredths of a second off the world record. I have the worst luck with world records. I’ve had three world records in my career that have all been broken within a year. I broke the 400-meter world record at the Athens Paralympics in 2004. I held the record exactly 10 minutes. Somebody broke it in the next heat [laughs]. I’ll get to hold this Paralympics record for at least four years.

NYRR: What do you like about the ING New York City Marathon?
JG: The course is so challenging and rewarding. It’s a course that really makes you feel good at the end because you’ve conquered all the bridges and hills. One of my strengths is climbing. The first climb on the [Verrazano-Narrows] Bridge should be a good indication of how much stronger I’ve become in the past year. And potholes are an added element in this race. Last year, I flattened my front tire in a pothole with 10K to go. There are so many obstacles. You have to stay focused the entire race.

NYRR: Who inspired you to become the athlete you are?
JG: Definitely my parents [Scott and Marjorie]. They refused to treat me any different after my accident. I had always been an active kid with good coordination. So my parents made sure that I would be able to try all the different sports that were available to me. And when I showed how much I enjoyed those sports, my parents made sure that I would be able to continue to compete.

NYRR: You were a starting guard on a USA team that won a gold medal in an international basketball tournament. Are you still involved in that sport?
JG: This is the first year that I had to make a choice between racing and basketball. For the past three years, I was on the USA national teams in racing and basketball. The drills we do in basketball, which focus on quick starts and acceleration, actually help me in racing. My goal is to play on another USA national team at the World Basketball Championships in 2010.

NYRR: You’re involved in something called the Free Wheelchair Mission. What is that?      
JG: It’s a non-profit organization based in Orange County, CA. The goal is to provide wheelchairs for people lacking them in underdeveloped countries. It gives people mobility and a chance to live as rewarding a life as possible. I’ve been working with them since last spring. 

NYRR: Since the marathon’s first official wheelchair division in 2000, no American man has won the race. Some see you as America’s best hope. What do you think?
JG: The ING New York City Marathon course is one where, if I put it all together, I’ll have a shot at winning. It’s definitely a goal of mine. New York and London are the two biggest marathons on my list right now. I’m training hard to try to win those two.

Interview conducted on October 28, 2008 and posted on October 31, 2008.