John Edward Heath is giving his all in the Land Down Under.
The adaptive athlete competed this past weekend at the Down Under Championship, an annual CrossFit event that’s held in Australia. The multi-day affair is one of the two largest competitions in Australia and features a myriad of events, including 200-meter sprints, ball carries and a handstand walk.
It’s a physically grueling itinerary. But unsurprisingly, Heath was up for the task. The former Marine was looking ebullient Sunday at the end of the festivities.
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“Let em cook,” he posted on Instagram.
Heath, who competes with a prosthetic leg, is an elite adaptive CrossFit athlete. While losing a limb was devastating–and nearly sent him into a fatal tailspin–the accident wound up providing him with a new lease on life.
The accident occurred in 2016, when a driver under the influence hit Heath. Though he underwent 12 surgeries, none of them could make his leg operational again.
Distraught at the prospect of spending more time on the operating table, Heath decided to amputate. He was in a dark spell at the time, caught in a vicious cycle of alcohol and drug use.
Originally told he would never walk again on his own–never mind compete as an elite athlete–Heath returned to the gym full-time. He wanted to be one of the best adaptive athletes in the world.
Years later, he’s well on his way. In addition to training, Heath is also the founder of a non-profit, the Adaptive Foundation of Maryland. One of his recent projects involves lobbying state legislators to pass laws mandating that insurance companies cover the costs of multiple prosthetics for amputees.
Thanks to Heath’s efforts, Maryland became the sixth state in the U.S. last spring to pass such legislation. Amputees need multiple prosthetics if they’re going to participate in any athletic competition, or even work out.
It’s a fact that few people are aware of.
“What that means is, if you go for a run after this interview, you don’t have to switch your leg,” Heath told Queerty. “You just have to switch your shoes. As an amputee, I cannot go for a run with the same prosthetic. The same goes for every moment that I have to do.”
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Heath has spent a lot of time in Australia over the last six months, winning bronze at the Oceania Championships CrossFit Semi-Finals in May.
“The highlight of my weekend is the progression I got to see from some of the adaptive athletes,” he posted. “All I have to say, it’s keep fighting the good fight. For the rest of the CrossFit community. We’re not going anywhere so you might as well start supporting us and treating us like you treat the rest of the ‘elite abled bodied athletes.'”
More than anything, Heath wants people to know that adaptive athlete don’t compete for participation trophies.
“A lot of individuals think our competitions are scaled. There’s a difference between scaling the workout and adapting the workout,” he said. “A lot of people don’t take us seriously when we say we’re Paralympians or elite adaptive CrossFit athletes, because they think it’s a participation trophy.”
Though Heath isn’t a professional athlete, his training regimen is intense. His first session is typically at 6:00 a.m., and lasts around 2.5 hours. Then he completes a high intensity workout around lunchtime, before heading back into the gym at 3:00 p.m.
This past summer, Heath put his work to the test at the Endeavor Games in Oklahoma City and at the METCON Rush in Hagerstown, Maryland, among other competitions.
Three years into life with a prosthetic, Heath strives for excellence each and every day. He wouldn’t be able to do it without his prized corgi, Lord Voldemort.
“My dog has played a major role in my mental health. I would not be successful without him,” he said.
Heath, who’s been blessed with a strong support system, knows excellence is a team effort. When he’s out there competing, he’s doing it for more than himself.
He’s lifting up adaptive athletes from around the world!
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