We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John-Edward Heath . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John-Edward below.
Alright, John-Edward thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
May 21, 2021 my life would change forever when I went into surgery for a Below-The-Knee amputation. I had been disabled since 2016 and due to military malpractice I was left with a limb that did not function.
Everything was orchestrated too well for me to excel because of the people I was surrounded around. I had 2x Olympian and Eagles WR Devon Allen in my corner which would shape my career as a Paralympic/Adaptive Athlete.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a product of social services. From a young age I was removed and placed back with my biological parent for many years until I was deemed to the state. At the age of 17 I would live in a recruiting station in order to enlisted in the military. I served 10 years in the United States Marine Corps but it is a bitter sweet subject because the military is the reason for my discipline as a professional athlete but also the cause of my amputation due to military malpractice. Fast forward two years post amputation and I have trained with some of the most elite coaches and athletes like (Kaylin Whitney, Kenny Bednarak, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Kevin Snead, Kyra Jefferson, Teahna Daniels, Javianne Oliver, TeeTee Terry and Shacarri Richardson). I have also managed to make a name for myself in Adaptive CrossFit. In a two year span I have traveled the country to train at some of the best facilities like Kollective in Austin TX and have traveled the country to compete.
My biggest accomplishments from all of this has been the ability to advocate for the disabled community and be a role model for our youth in adaptive/Paralympic sports. I am currently training for the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 and the WheelWOD Adaptive CrossFit Games 2023.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Discipline. Discipline is the key factor to success in this field. It is extremely easy to get distracted with your diet, sleep, and going out with your friend. I know we have all heard about hanging out with elite people makes you elite. I firmly believe that. My best friend is Defensive End for the Colts Khalid Kareem and he keeps me grounded and reassures me in my journey.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The difference between my world and profession is we do not have NFL/MBA/MLB million dollar contracts. Everything I do is through sponsorship, donations and working engagements to pay for the next event or the next coaching. There are days where I want to walk away because of the stress of fundraising money but God always provides and I have made it this far in my journey. With the Olympic year being next year I’m going to need larger funding and sponsorship.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: CarbonFiber_John
- Facebook: John-Edward Heath
- Linkedin: John-Edward Heath
- Twitter: CarbonFiberJohn
- Youtube: CarbonFiberJohn
Image Credits
Frankie Stallard