|
Goldman has been running for three years. Having competed in the U.S., Germany, Australia, and England, she's the world's fastest double amputee, below the knee, among women track runners. She holds the world records in her class of 16.88 seconds for the 100 meters and 38.46 seconds for the 200 meters. Now she's setting her sights on winning some gold medals in next year's International Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where 250 Americans will compete with athletes from other nations. It'll be the first time she has competed in the international games I recently spoke with Goldman at an event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. She is very smart and very determined, but generous in mentoring other disabled athletes. "My winning increases the awareness of people with physical disabilities competing in sports, and of women competing in sports," Goldman says. She considers herself a role model for other disabled athletes, such as Kelly Bruno, a 15-year-old double-leg amputee, who says, "Jami is my idol and my inspiration. I love to run. It makes me feel whole." SUPERB CONDITION. Goldman lost her legs to frostbite in a car accident in February, 1988, in northern Arizona. Like many people who lose a limb, Goldman refused to give up on herself. Self-pity is not in her character. She learned to use artificial legs, and while she was adjusting, she earned a BA in child development in 1996 from California State at Long Beach. Discipline and competition are Goldman's mantras. She exercises two hours a day, five days a week. Her workouts consist of running at different speeds, sometimes by herself and sometimes with others. She's in superb condition. Keeping her body lean and her weight fixed is important to Jami. She follows a strict diet of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat. She needs a tough, mental discipline to stick to this regimen.
Goldman has been featured running in a national television commercial produced by Germany's Adidas and in national magazines. Among the events the Adidas commercial has been shown in are the International Soccer Games and division playoffs of the National Basketball Assn. Goldman's running legs are manufactured by Flex Foot Inc. The company is one of several that manufacture prosthetic devices for athletes with disabilities. Her "Cheetah" brand prosthetic legs cost more than $3,000 each, but the price can go as high as $8,000 per leg depending on the number of parts needed and whether the prosthetic starts below the knee or above it. Hers are designed specifically for running. The feet Goldman wears have a J-design that give her spring when she runs. Combined with a lightweight, carbon-fiber heel, the feet give her a smooth fluid motion through the gait cycle. And the light material in the heel allows her to walk further and faster without tiring. THE LONG HAUL. When not running or training, Goldman works part-time as a waitress in a sandwich shop near her home in Huntington Beach, Calif. It helps to pay the bills while she's in training. She wears different legs when she's not running. She plans to return to working in the childhood development field when her running career is finished. She doesn't know when that will happen, but she's certain she'll know when it's time to quit. "Competing is winning. When I can not win anymore, I am not competing," she says. About 1.5 million people in the U.S. have lost a limb. Around one-third of that number have lost one or more legs. Every year, an additional 125,000 people in the U.S. become amputees. Disease, such as diabetes, is the most common cause of amputation, while 23% of amputations result from injuries, and 3% occur at birth. A majority (54%) of amputees lose a leg or legs below the knee.
Kirk Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA and himself
an amputee, says Goldman can run as fast as she does because of
the advances in prosthetic technology. In fact, the performances
can be astounding when these athletes run, jump, and throw. And
technological strides driven by athletic competition have far-reaching
consequences for nonathlete amputees who want a richer quality of
life. With such technology, people who have lost legs can again
have a fairly natural walk. That's especially important for older
folks, who often lose interest in life when they have a leg amputated.
Sadly, some become hermits. The new devices on the market can dramatically
empower seniors.
|
