ATHENS, WV (WOAY) – Paralympian Jonathan Gore will be the featured speaker for a Disability Awareness Month event at Concord University on Tuesday, Oct 5. Gore’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Jean and Jerry L. Beasley Student Center.
Gore competed recently in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where he offered a stellar performance placing fourth in the T64 classification of the 200-meter dash final with a time of 22.66 seconds and seventh in the T64 classification 100-meter dash final at 11.08 seconds.
Gore was a standout athlete for the Mountain Lions’ track & field program from 2013-2017 as he was a seven-time All Mountain East Conference selection, earning Championship MVP honors in the spring of 2017. He holds the CU men’s track & field program record in the long jump, both indoor (7.14 meters) and outdoor (7.16 meters). In the summer of 2018, following a lawn mowing accident, he had the lower portion of his left leg amputated. A 2017 Concord alum, Gore is currently pursuing his master’s degree at Concord and is a graduate assistant cross country and track & field coach for the Mountain Lions.
For his upcoming presentation at Concord on Oct. 5, Gore says, “I’m mainly just going to tell my story – about my amputation, my road to recovery, and the road to the Paralympics. It’s going to be my testimony.”
“A saying that I came up with during my recovery time is ‘My Story is My Motivation.’ This isn’t just for me, but it’s for everyone because everyone has been through something where people – even themselves – wonder how they made it through.”
“We were thrilled when Jonathan agreed to be the speaker for this year’s Disability Awareness Month Event,” stated Nancy Ellison, Director of Multicultural Affairs and Disability Services Coordinator. “I look forward to hearing him share his story about the path that led him to the Tokyo Paralympic Games.”
October has been designated as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The theme for this year’s celebration is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” which reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Gore’s presentation, an information fair featuring resources and giveaways will begin at 6 p.m. in the Ballroom.
The event is being co-sponsored by Concord University, the USDA Forest Service, Mercer County Opportunity Industries, and Mercer County Schools. The general public is invited at no charge.
