Nike Youth Games – Special Olympics Oregon

Blake Leeper – Runner

Early Life: Patrick “Blake” Leeper was born on August 31st, 1989 in Kingsport, Tennessee. Born with both legs missing below the knee, Blake still spent his young life focused on succeeding in sports. At nine months old he began wearing prosthetics and spent his young life thriving in sports. Blake’s top sport was basketball. During high school, Blake almost quit athletic endeavors — as an aspiring pre-med student, he felt that he needed to apply himself fully ahead of the college admissions process. After deciding to go to pre-med camp in the summer before his senior year of high school rather than play summer basketball, Blake thought his decision had been sealed. However, a high school teammate (and current NFL standout) Cody Sensabaugh convinced Blake to continue playing basketball during his senior year.

Exposure to Racing: Blake’s first exposure to Paralympic track and field came through the 2008 games, when he watched Oscar Pistorius’ record-setting performances earn a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10. A switch was flipped: Blake knew he wanted to race. Blake then turned his relentless spirit towards finding a guiding light in the world of track and field. He reached out to members of the United States’ 2008 Paralympics team via MySpace, eventually receiving a response from an athlete named Ryan Fann. The guidance provided by Fann would lead Blake to get his first running legs and begin his journey.

First Races: Without any exposure to the world of track, Blake Leeper set out for his first event. Not even knowing how to get into the blocks, Blake came in first place in the event and earned attention from U.S. Paralympics coaches. They made sure to stay in touch with Blake, who at the time was a student at University of Tennessee. Blake continued to balance school and track, eventually heading down to Brazil to participate in a major race. There, he placed first and solidified his status as one of track’s least expected young stars.

Making the Move: Initially, Blake attempted to continue balancing school with his athletic endeavors. Majoring in Pre-Medicine and Physics, this was no easy task. However, he continued to post eyepopping numbers at events, and was invited to train with U.S. Olympians in the summer of 2010. After getting into the best shape of his life in San Diego, Blake took home first place at trials in Miami. Following his dominant performance, Blake attempted to break tough news to his parents: that he wanted to drop out of school and pursue track full time. His mother began to cry — she, a nurse, had always dreamed of working with her son, whose goal had been to become a doctor. Blake was convinced to continue attending school at Tennessee. In the fall of 2010, Blake finally hit a point where it became clear that he could not pursue track at the necessary level while still in school. Balancing highly demanding programs with maintaining a social life and a full training regimen became too much. His performances suffered and he realized that he had to make a decision. “Something had to give,” Blake said reflecting on the trying period in his life. So, he packed his bags and headed to California to begin his life as an Olympian.

An Olympian is Born: Blake arrived in San Diego in December of 2010 and spent the entirety of 2011 training. For the first time in his life, he was living the lifestyle of an athlete. However, just one month into his time in San Diego, a substantial challenge emerged. Blake headed to New Zealand for a series of events in which he would race Oscar Pistorius. Nervous and exhausted from the travel, Blake came in fifth in his events. While he knew he wasn’t where he needed to be, Blake learned something important from the saga: “I lost, but I was so close. I can be the best in the world.” Blake spent the next year of his life devoted fully to his training. Working at a Champs Sporting Goods store to pay the bills, he embraced the grind in Southern California in an effort to reach his peak condition ahead of the 2012 games. In the first race of 2012, Blake posted a sub-22 in the 200m — Pistorius was the only other person in the world who had done so. By June of 2012, Blake was tying the reigning champ’s times. Then, by the time the games rolled around, Blake was posted a 21.7 in the 200m. He was ready.