Achilles, Accessibility, Adaptive Sports, and the Six Cs to Success with Joe LeMar

In this episode, Joe LeMar, Paralympic gold medalist, world champion in wheelchair softball, and longtime track and cross-country coach, joins the AdaptX Podcast to share his story of resilience and his mission to make adaptive sports accessible to all. Joe recounts how, after losing part of his foot to a recurring tumor in high school, he refused to accept doctors’ predictions that he’d never run again. Within a few years, he was representing the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games, winning gold in the 400 meters, and setting multiple world records in track and field. He discusses the evolution of Paralympic competition, the challenges of fair classification systems, and the growing visibility of elite adaptive athletes thanks to increased media coverage and U.S. Olympic-Paralympic Committee integration.

Now the Boston Chapter Lead for Achilles International, Joe has turned his athletic success into advocacy, helping build a fully inclusive running community where athletes of all abilities can walk, run, or roll together. He explains how Achilles chapters create opportunities for athletes with disabilities - veterans, civilians, kids, and adults alike - through adaptive road racing, triathlon programs, and volunteer guide networks. Joe also offers advice for race directors and fitness professionals on making events and gyms more accessible, from equipment considerations like crank cycles and seated cardio options to the importance of inclusive culture, language, and community integration.

Joe’s six guiding principles, courage, commitment, character, class, confidence, and communication, have shaped his journey from athlete to coach and mentor. His message is clear: sports are for everybody, and inclusion doesn’t require lowering standards, it requires raising awareness, asking questions, and making space for every athlete to belong.

Brendan Aylward (00:02.006)

All right, welcome to the AdaptX podcast where we have conversations with individuals who are building accessible businesses, advocating for inclusion or excelling in adaptive sports. Our intention is never to speak on behalf of those with disabilities, but provide a platform with insights into a more accessible world.

Today we are joined by Joe Lamar. Joe has spent more than 30 years serving as a coach, primarily in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. In addition to being a coach, Joe has also been a Paralympic medalist and world champion in wheelchair softball. Joe brings his experience in relationships with Special Olympics, Olympics and Paralympics together to lead the Boston Achilles team, a fully inclusive running club of Boston. Joe, thank you for joining me today.

Joe LeMar (00:40.97)

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Brendan Aylward (00:42.858)

I probably could have fixed the grammar in that. So you're a Paralympic medalist in running activities and then a world champion in wheelchair softball just to differentiate between the two. But so prior to being a Paralympic athlete, you were an accomplished track and field athlete. So maybe taking us back to your early career with running as a whole before you became an adaptive athlete.

Joe LeMar (00:53.024)

Thank you. No problem.

Joe LeMar (01:09.482)

Yeah, definitely. So as a kid, you know, I was active in all sports, you know, I was always outside, whether it would be, you know, playing in the neighborhood, playing on the streets, whether it be kickball, you know, kick the can, whatever it was, back then, or, you know, running over to the park to jump in a baseball game with all the kids in the neighborhood or onto the basketball court playing basketball. In middle school, I started really getting into soccer.

So I was really a big time soccer player then. But I found out one day at the beach that I had a lump on my foot and we went and had it looked at and it turned out to be a tumor that needed to be removed. And at that time, you know, I was...

you know, just a kid saying what's going on here and not having any idea to what a tumor was in the first place, you know, being a growth that could go and affect your entire life and had the surgery to have it removed. It actually drew back.

the following year when I was in eighth grade and at that time they had to amputate the toe next to my big toe and I was told at that time that I'd have a hard time walking, never mind running. So hearing that and hearing a doctor tell me that, you know, I decided I had friends that were running cross-country so I'm like, all right, forget about soccer because it's going to be difficult and hurt all the time kicking a ball and everything around.

I'm like, let's see if I can get away with running on it. So I ran cross country indoor and outdoor track, all three seasons, almost all four years of high school at Brockton High.

Joe LeMar (03:09.514)

I ended up becoming New England champ indoors in the mile, which was a huge feat knowing that the entire time the year before the tumor resurfaced again when I was a junior. And I was told at that time that they would definitely have to amputate the foot because it was throughout the entire foot and they could not get it all.

And I bided my time. I was literally begging the doctor not to take it right then and there when they wanted to during that cross country season. And I ended up getting away with running cross country and indoors the entire seasons, and then a couple of meets outdoors. And then it was time to have the foot, unfortunately amputated my stony year of high school.

Brendan Aylward (03:56.966)

Were you having to weigh the pros and cons of kind of prolonging that procedure where the doctor is telling you that it could have longer term implications if you didn't get it done sooner?

Joe LeMar (04:07.046)

Absolutely, you know, and it could go spread throughout the leg and hearing all those stories. But we were just going constantly back for visits to make sure that we were getting it sized and everything else to know that it wasn't spreading further and everything. So I was that's the only reason I was able to get away with finishing that indoor season.

Brendan Aylward (04:31.622)

Yeah, and then you've had some setbacks in the years following the initial amputation, correct? You had to have multiple surgeries to resolve.

Joe LeMar (04:41.022)

Yep. So after having the big major surgery and everything, I got back into running, found out about running, you know, which was unbelievable. A nurse actually brought me a Runners World magazine that had an article in it on the Paralympics. And I was like, this is what I want to do. And

I went right to my prosthesis and everything and asked, can you make me a running leg? And they said, no problem. And next thing I got involved, and that was probably, probably took six months after.

the amputation to get into a really good walking leg and everything. You know, I probably went through one or two different sockets throughout the four or five months and then boom, once we got that fit down, everything else was pretty much clear sailing. And I went on to compete in Barcelona in 92.

and won the 400 meter run over there. Then in 93, I started having a few issues in which I was still growing at the time. So I actually bottomed out and split through the skin and everything else. So I had to have a revision done at that time.

to go and lose a couple more inches so that my stump would be fine after that.

Brendan Aylward (06:20.974)

Before we dive into the Paralympic experience, could you have competed in high school as an amputee if you had that surgery earlier? Would you have been able to compete in traditional track and field with a running blade?

Joe LeMar (06:37.754)

Oh, I believe I could have, but again, I didn't know anything at all about any type of disabled sports, you know?

Brendan Aylward (06:46.646)

Yeah, not even from a competency standpoint. I'm sure you would be fast enough to run, but at the time, was the landscape of inclusion, was it different? Yeah, yeah. I wonder if you would have been allowed to compete or if people would have seen it as an unfair advantage.

Joe LeMar (06:57.886)

It was non-existent, you know?

Joe LeMar (07:06.722)

Um, even, even at the time that I was became, you know, had a running blade and everything else, I was trying to find races and tried to find organizations that I could fit into, you know, and I was pushed off to the special Olympics and they told me, no, you don't belong here. You don't belong with us. And then I finally found out about, uh, disabled sports USA.

in everything and that was the path to go down to get into the Paralympics. But then again, you know, I wish we had

You know, the technology we have now to go on Google and just say, boom, oh, here we go. It's all opened up to me, but nope. There are lots of phone calls and lots of being sent in the wrong directions and you learn from it. And, you know, again, nowadays they have it a lot easier.

Brendan Aylward (08:06.886)

What was that qualification process like in 92 or the years beforehand to qualify for Barcelona?

Joe LeMar (08:15.01)

So it was pretty much the top three in each event qualified to go on to Barcelona. Coming from a distance background, you know, back then they thought that amputees, leg amputees especially, couldn't run that far at the time. So it was like the furthest event for a below knee amputee was the 400 meters. And that was a little disappointing, again, being a

having to become a sprinter.

Brendan Aylward (08:47.462)

Yeah. Did I read that for Barcelona you were in TS2, but then in a later competition you were in T44. Did the, is that, what is that correct? And yeah, did, did ity, did.

Joe LeMar (08:58.538)

So they're the same things. Yes, they're the same things. The classifications just changed over the years, so they started using different terminology. Yep.

Brendan Aylward (09:05.52)

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I figured that was gonna be my question. What is, what are the pros and cons, and maybe there are no cons, of the Paralympic classification system? Did you have any difficulty with them? Anything that you can identify as a challenge?

Joe LeMar (09:29.627)

So throughout the years there were a number of challenges, you know, and it was at certain events like it was what it was the 1999 World Championships over in Spain, you know, they had us classified with people with cerebral palsy.

And it was like, what are you talking about? How, how is that fair for them to be running against the leg amputee? And, you know, at that event, I ended up not only losing the 800, but I lost my world record and it was literally right at the line for a lean to somebody with cerebral palsy and I'm like, how is this fair?

And again, it was the governing bodies at the time that didn't understand the differences or didn't care to look at the differences. All they wanted was for everybody just to compete. So that's what happened.

Brendan Aylward (10:33.562)

There's probably something to be said about inclusion of abilities while also having a level playing field. That record that you lost was resolved after the fact, correct?

Joe LeMar (10:44.206)

That's it.

Joe LeMar (10:50.03)

A few years later, yes, I got a certificate in the mail, literally, that said, you know, world record holder and everything, but I didn't get the gold medal from the world championships. I still only got the silver medal. And you know, between us and everybody now on the podcast, I ended up getting three silver medals that year.

Brendan Aylward (11:02.182)

Yeah, yeah, not hardly a consolation prize.

Joe LeMar (11:17.762)

you know, the 400, 800, and the 4x4 relay. And that silver medal for the 800 is the only medal that I didn't bring home.

throughout my entire career. My mother got every single medal except for that one. And that one went to a little kid over in Spain who, he was our helper throughout the entire two weeks that we were there and everything. He would go and carry the laundry bag with all my clothes in it and my water bottle and everything else, my spikes and stuff like that. And he was always assigned to every race of mine. So he ended up getting that medal at that time.

Brendan Aylward (11:59.563)

How has Paralympic competition evolved over the last three decades even to more recently, the more recent games were the first ones that were nationally televised I believe and I'm sure there will be even more coverage for this summer game. How have you seen that landscape change over the last couple of decades?

Joe LeMar (12:23.666)

It's great. It's really wonderful to see, you know, you go and see the US OPC now, you know, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, you know, where Paralympics is in there. You know, that wasn't taking place when I was competing, you know, it was just the US Olympic Committee.

You know, and the U.S. Paralympic Committee had their own governing body. So seeing that, seeing that it's at the Olympic level as well as the, you know, Olympic and Paralympic Committee, overseeing things, it's tremendous to know that they are hand in hand right now. And to know that, you know, every country that wants to host the Olympics has to go and host the Paralympics those few weeks later.

You know, that's a tremendous thing to accomplish and see. And then you start seeing the level of our Paralympic athletes right now. It's like, yeah, let's go and see a couple of, you know, elite basketball players in the NBA go and try playing basketball in a wheelchair, you know, and see, see how they feel a couple of hours after pushing.

Brendan Aylward (13:32.971)

Yeah.

Brendan Aylward (13:37.462)

Yeah, how can you dispel that narrative that Paralympic competition is less than or adaptive athletes are less than?

Joe LeMar (13:47.254)

you, you know, right there, less than it's, it's far from it. If anybody who's a professional at any level, you know, decides to go and challenge a Paralympic athlete who is at that elite level, there's no question they'll realize and get the respect that they are an athlete.

Brendan Aylward (14:10.666)

Yeah, do you think it's useful then as an educational experience for able-bodied individuals, and we'll just use that as a differentiating term, to experience and participate in seated and adaptive sports?

Joe LeMar (14:28.154)

I think it would be wonderful. I think it should start at a younger age and everything. I think you go and look at some of the models, like Canada goes and has able-bodied kids playing wheelchair basketball all the time in some of their schools. And it's just so that those kids who are physically challenged, who are in need of using a wheelchair and everything, are able to go and have phys ed classes that allow them to play with their peers.

It would be great to have that in the US at some of the schools and everything. Even going and looking at sitting volleyball for instance, you can go and accomplish. Tennis, anybody can go and accomplish tennis and know the difference between wheelchair tennis, they get two bounces. Regular tennis, you still only get the one even though you're playing somebody in a wheelchair.

Brendan Aylward (15:28.17)

I saw, I thought I read online that you were part of a committee trying to push for the games in Boston or the games in Massachusetts. Is that, is there any headway to that and do you actually see that as a logistic possibility?

Joe LeMar (15:41.238)

No.

Joe LeMar (15:44.73)

No, that fell apart many years ago and then it was Paris ended up getting 2024 and LA took over 2028. So that was our loss, unfortunately.

Brendan Aylward (15:56.487)

What is the biggest, I guess, barrier or limitation that Boston presents in hosting an event like that?

Joe LeMar (16:02.846)

You know, I don't know, you get asked the politicians, unfortunately, who might not have wanted it, and other people that didn't want it, because it would only be great for the tourist industry for the future. You know?

Brendan Aylward (16:06.271)

Next.

Brendan Aylward (16:20.829)

Yeah Yeah, no, it's interesting. I mean, I'm sure it's a huge logistical challenge, especially in a city like Boston That's already congested to begin with but

Joe LeMar (16:31.998)

But the events were gonna be spread out, you know, and elsewhere. Like Fall River was gonna host like the rowing or sailing or something like that. So it wasn't like everything was gonna be in the center of downtown.

Brendan Aylward (16:46.69)

Yeah, yeah. What was your transition like from going from a competitive athlete? Or I guess maybe at what point did you decide that your competition career should be over and you could transition into your role as a coach?

Joe LeMar (17:05.99)

So I wouldn't say that my competition career is over because I still do compete in wheelchair basketball, softball, and football right now. But there was, you know, after Sydney in 2000, you know, you got beat by, I got beat by a kid and I was like, I don't...

You know, I don't have it. If I'm not going to be the best, I didn't want it. It's sad to say, you know, but if I wasn't going to be at that elite level in track and field, that's, that's when I knew that it was time to hang up the spikes. And then.

Brendan Aylward (17:44.975)

And then you transition to wheelchair sports.

Joe LeMar (17:49.942)

I didn't transition to wheelchair sports for eight years.

You know, I went and knew about him the whole time. I was going all the time to the Brockman VA to support the basketball players that were playing. And they would always ask me to play. But I thought, you know, I'm an amputee. I don't belong in a wheelchair. You know, that's the mindset that I always had. And then, um, you know, one of the days, one of the guys that was always asking me year

Joe LeMar (18:25.197)

roll over my good foot in his wheelchair and he said what are you gonna do about it there's a chair right over there and I'm like fine alright

And then I was hooked. You know, he literally handed it to me, the smallest guy on the court, handed it to the big guy and everything. And I'm like, I can't let this happen. And you get the competitive juices flowing again. And it was, yep. Next thing I knew, I was in the gym three times a week playing wheelchair basketball. And then that carried over into the next season of playing wheelchair softball with those guys.

Brendan Aylward (18:55.45)

What do you think?

Brendan Aylward (19:01.822)

Yeah, yeah. What do you think drew you in addition to clearly this competitive drive of needing to be excellent at sports that you compete in, but what do you think drew you to wheelchair basketball and some of those sports?

Joe LeMar (19:21.09)

Again, it was just the athletes that were out there. You know, they said that I should be doing it and that I belong and their acceptance of me was huge. You know, and then again, like you said, if you're a competitor, you just are and you have that drive and you wanna get better and that's what I saw from then on out.

Brendan Aylward (19:45.95)

At what point did you start coaching cross country in track and field?

Joe LeMar (19:51.006)

So I was coaching the whole time that I was running so back in the 90s Yeah, so I was I was always coaching cross-country indoor and outdoor track I was thankful to the schools that I was at because they would allow me to go off and still compete all around the world

Brendan Aylward (20:09.306)

How were your athletes receptive to you as an amputee? Do you think they questioned your ability as a coach? At least, I mean, I guess you have a physical disability that you can still ambulate in and you can still run and you have this prolific and accomplished career. Do you think if you were maybe a wheelchair user trying to coach people on running, it would be received differently?

Joe LeMar (20:38.446)

Um, I would hope not. I would hope that if you have the knowledge and ability to be able to coach and you were the best candidate to be in that position, you'd get the job. And, you know, the kids would be a welcoming of that, you know,

Brendan Aylward (20:54.718)

Yeah, my friend Tim Morris, who's a wheelchair user, is a track and field coach out at a high school in New Hampshire. And I know they've had some very, very accomplished runners and he does an awesome job with that. But I sometimes wonder the same thing, whether there's any negative beliefs or self-limiting beliefs that people have about coaches.

Joe LeMar (20:59.147)

Yeah.

nuts.

Joe LeMar (21:15.846)

No, I would say definitely not. Again, if you go and you care and you show the athletes that you care and you see their improvement throughout the season, that's what counts.

Brendan Aylward (21:27.522)

Yeah, what have been your, maybe your biggest highlights or moments that maybe stick out as a coach? Hmm.

Joe LeMar (21:34.558)

Oh boy, there were way too many, you know?

I've had numerous state champions that I've worked with over the years and I, I'm not going to name them because I do not want to miss anybody, but they, they all know who they are and, you know, still in touch with a number of them. Thankfully to Facebook, you know, Facebook is, is great, even though it crashed earlier today for us.

Brendan Aylward (22:03.738)

It's yeah, it did yeah, that was weird actually now that you mentioned that I was having trouble with it earlier That's that's a that's why I hadn't even looked into whether it was a nationwide crash, but Early to early 2000s you coached some Paralympic sports as well at the Edmonton Games World Championships in Edmonton

Joe LeMar (22:09.278)

Oh... Yes.

Joe LeMar (22:20.778)

Yeah. So yes, I was selected as the 2001 World Championship coach for amputees over in Edmonton, Canada. And that was, you know, a big thrill and honor knowing that, you know, I had just pretty much finished up my running in Sydney the year before and was, uh,

able to take on a responsibility like that. And again, seeing the athletes being able to compete and just being there with friends and everything else that were able-bodied athletes. Like Calvin Davis of Dorchester was running the 400 and hurdles and everything else back then at the world championships. And he's a bronze medalist from 1996.

in the 400 meter hurdles and just rubbing elbows with those guys was pretty good.

Brendan Aylward (23:15.19)

Are there unique training protocols or approaches that you have to take when training an amputee as opposed to a traditional runner? Like does the wear and tear on the body differ?

Joe LeMar (23:24.538)

Oh yeah. It definitely does. And quality fits is huge. Having a, you know, it's such an intimate product, having a running blade and everything, and you do need a quality fit. Proper alignment is very, very important because that's what gives that spring and everything else from the running blade.

So all those things need to be looked at properly and busting out the video cameras and recording everything back then was important.

Brendan Aylward (24:03.106)

Maybe let's segue into a fitness environment then. So if you were to go into a gym and wanna work with a personal trainer, what would you want them to ask you about your disability and what would you want to maybe not speak about, just from an etiquette and a communication standpoint?

Joe LeMar (24:22.942)

Um, again, with going in being in an environment like that, it's, it's an open door policy, you know, the trainer needs to know everything about you and they should know everything about you. You wouldn't want to keep any secrets because that's how you get hurt. You know, I knew when I was, uh, lifting and everything, when I was doing some heavy lifting with squats and everything, I had to get a leg made that could handle that weight.

You know, so I wouldn't want my trainer not to know that, you know, because guess what I get in and just on a regular, uh, walking leg and I could snap it and get hurt, you know, so it's, it's those things that, yeah, our trainer needs to go and ask how much pressure can you put on that? You know,

Brendan Aylward (25:13.948)

How can a fitness professional be better prepared to support the needs of amputees?

Joe LeMar (25:20.706)

going and again asking any and all questions. You know communication is the key. You know the amputee themselves might not even know you know what they don't need for help and assistance.

Brendan Aylward (25:37.358)

The communication is one of the categories in the six C's that you mentioned being integral to your success as an athlete and a coach. Do you want to maybe elaborate on that a little bit?

Joe LeMar (25:49.322)

Yeah, so I have my motto is the six C's to succeed, courage, commitment, character, class, confidence, and most importantly, communication. And I look at those and it's something my high school coach had, you know, he had the five C's. I added the communication because this day and age, it's the most important thing that is needed out there, you know, to get across. But you go and look at it and you start off with courage.

You have to be, one, willing to step up and do things. Making that full commitment. Don't go and be, oh yeah, maybe so. No, make the commitment. Go and get it done. Having that courage, like I said, to go and get it done. The confidence. Believe in yourself.

You know, having that class, you know, being a class act, being a classy person, showing good sportsmanship and everything, you know, what am I missing?

Brendan Aylward (26:53.475)

Yeah. I think you hit all six there. I think like character, but that goes in with class to a degree. Communication still seems to be like one of the main barriers to people interacting and more effectively supporting people with disabilities. I don't know, just like...

Joe LeMar (26:59.286)

Correct.

Joe LeMar (27:13.533)

Absolutely.

Brendan Aylward (27:13.626)

uh... cannot just like a concern of what to say and uh... misspeak or use terminology it's not well received by the individual

Joe LeMar (27:21.946)

Yeah, and again, in this day and age, yes, we all are politically correct and looking to be politically correct.

But if you're wanting to learn, you know, I tell everybody, I wear shorts year round for a reason. All right, ask me. You know, it's great when I go into a store and the little kids going, mommy, look at this and everything else. And the mom's like whisking the kid off. And I'm like, oh, let me go and go back there and have a chat and everything. Because I want the kid to go and ask the question so that he's accepting or she's accepting of somebody later on in life.

you know, with a disability.

Brendan Aylward (28:03.542)

Yeah, that parental response is basically reinforcing the idea like, oh, don't talk to the person who looks different or don't interact with anyone with a disability because you don't want to offend them. But I know it might get tiring for someone like you to a degree. They like always have to be in that educational like.

Joe LeMar (28:09.846)

Yep, and that's good.

Joe LeMar (28:15.02)

Absolutely.

Brendan Aylward (28:27.086)

Position I know when it when we stopped talked to Nico he kind of said like he has no problem having those conversations But sometimes when he's just doing his rudimentary tasks at the grocery store He doesn't want necessarily people to come up to him and tell him how inspirational he is for being out the grocery store

Joe LeMar (28:46.822)

You know, and that's the thing. It's like, you know, yes, in certain roles, we are inspirational to people. What do I look at myself that way? No, I'm just going to go about doing my everyday things that I need to get done for myself.

Brendan Aylward (29:07.222)

Yeah. And when did you first become involved with Achilles, which is how I was initially introduced to you a year or two ago? What was the, were you involved as an athlete before you became the Boston chapter?

Joe LeMar (29:21.33)

So way back when, yes, Achilles went and reached out to getting some of the best amputees around to do a couple of events. One was the Fifth Avenue Mile and the other was the Ocean to Sound Relay and they were both in New York.

I ended up winning the 5th Avenue mile on Saturday. We ran the relay together on Sunday and pretty much it was like six people each doing two different legs of various distances in this relay. While they put me in on the first leg for a leg amputee, it was on the boardwalk for five miles.

and then I got to the handoff area and nobody was there. I probably got seven miles in when one of the guys jumped out of the van. I'm like, where have you guys been? Oh, we didn't think you were going to be running that fast. I'm like, what are we here for? And then later on that day, I had another seven mile leg to do for the event and we did really well, but I went afterwards

Brendan Aylward (30:19.842)

Yeah, yes, yes.

Joe LeMar (30:34.326)

I'm never competing with you guys or for you guys again. You had an arm amputee that could have run that lead off leg for us and been fine on the boardwalk. You know, and it was just, I told them it was unprofessional and everything to be doing that and then nobody's there at the handoff and everything. So then a few years later, you know, quite a few years later.

Brendan Aylward (30:38.84)

Yes.

Joe LeMar (31:04.262)

I had worked with and spoken at Harvard and Nicky Maxwell was one of their athletes. He was the first NCAA Division I athlete to compete with a running blade, you know, below knee amputee as well. And I was helping.

him and everything and again just talking to the team and everything as a motivational speaker and then a couple years after he graduated he went and did an internship for Achilles International in New York and this job opened up and he's called me and said Joe I think you'd be perfect for it and sure enough he wasn't wrong you know it's my passion to give back to those who are physically

Brendan Aylward (31:49.254)

Yes.

Brendan Aylward (31:55.882)

Yeah, we'll talk more about Achilles in a second. You had mentioned the boardwalk, and it just made me kind of think of maybe we can quickly highlight what 5Ks or road races could do to make their course more accessible for athletes with physical disabilities.

Joe LeMar (32:14.378)

Yeah, that's a question that's really good. Again, if it's a...

a race that's been around, I don't think that they need to, you know, change in my opinion, you know, especially if it has some history to it. It's like, maybe we should be the ones to adapt and get used to it in some way, you know, is there a way for us to adapt to it, you know, whether it would be a wheelchair user switching up different tires to push through, you know,

Joe LeMar (32:52.644)

get through. And again, you don't want to lose that tradition in my opinion. You know, having been an able-bodied athlete to now being someone who is physically challenged, I went and still competed on courses that, you know, were trail runs and everything else. If I wanted to as an amputee, I got it done.

You know, and it should be the same for anybody in that situation. If there's a way to get it done, adapt to it and get it done.

Brendan Aylward (33:27.438)

So if it's not necessarily a race director having to completely overhaul a course, what can someone do to create a more inclusive event or be more welcoming of a diverse population?

Joe LeMar (33:42.538)

Yeah, that's a better question. If they're gonna go and come up with a new race and everything, how can they make it fully accessible to everybody? Yeah, make sure they're on difficult parts, not too many turns, especially for someone in a wheelchair. That's something you wanna get your speed up, you wanna keep your speed up, you wanna keep rolling. But...

You could still go and have different types of races and everything, have trail races that are fully trail races. You can go and accomplish that in a hand cycle, for instance.

Brendan Aylward (34:28.798)

Yeah, absolutely. So Achilles, Achilles as an organization has chapters all around the country, maybe all around the world. What is the premise of the non-profit organization or what are the programs and services that they offer?

Joe LeMar (34:47.588)

Nice. Yeah. So with Achilles.

Our biggest thing is we are looking to be fully inclusive for anybody and everybody looking to go walk run roll plus now we've started uh, Achilles Tri which is our you know triathlon group. So you're involved in swimming You know, we want we want you guys out there. We want everybody out there If you think you're an athlete if you don't think you're an athlete We want you to come out and move That's the biggest thing

You know, you look at our population of how many people do have a disability just here in the US. You know, it's like 26% of Americans have some sort of disability. How many of those people are active? You know, it goes and builds into that character and everything in which you can go and feel good about yourself.

you know, to go out and accomplish things with others too. You know, and that community is everything as well. You know, we're a welcoming community for everybody and we do all different types of other social activities as well.

Whether it's pizza parties or coffee and donuts, going out bowling with the group, even those who are visually impaired are allowed to come out and go bowling with us. So again, all of our events are fully inclusive for anybody and everybody that wants to be a part of the Kelly's.

Brendan Aylward (36:22.094)

If someone wants to learn more about it or get involved with a local chapter, we can put it in the show notes, but do you know where they would go to do so?

Joe LeMar (36:25.91)

Yeah.

Joe LeMar (36:33.178)

you could go right onto Achilles Internationals website, you know, and feel free to post if this is going out to mainly Massachusetts or New England and everything. You know, we have our Achilles International Boston Facebook page. Instagram is Achilles Boston on Instagram. And, you know, feel free to shoot my email in there as well. jlamar at Achi

Brendan Aylward (37:02.918)

Do you know what the process is like for someone that might be interested in starting a chapter if there's not already a chapter in their environment?

Joe LeMar (37:11.146)

So if there's not a chapter right away in their environment, we do have what's called our USA chapter. So that's basically for those individuals that are spread out all over the place.

And what we do there is our Achilles chapter lead there goes and we'll find guides in their area to match them up with if they're in need of guides. And then again, once we do big events, like if they're racing in Boston, they come and they're part of our family in Boston and we get the 80 people together and hotel dinners and Red Sox game and everything else. So

Brendan Aylward (37:52.43)

How many bibs do you guys have for Boston this year, do you know?

Joe LeMar (37:55.81)

Um, how many people competing? I believe we're in the sixties.

Brendan Aylward (37:58.516)

Yeah.

Brendan Aylward (38:02.518)

Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, a large percentage of the hand cycles are from Achilles International, if I remember correctly, yeah.

Joe LeMar (38:06.926)

Correct. Very nice. Yep, yep. Mostly our freedom team riders, so that's our veteran group. And that goes with other groups that we have. We do have two different kids opportunities with not only being a part of the chapter, but also a kids learn... Kids...

Kids Learn program, let's edit that one because I totally butchered it. You know. Yeah.

Brendan Aylward (38:40.332)

That's fine. The point was well communicated still. I don't know the statistics offhand, but I think people believe that most amputees are veterans, but a large percentage of amputations don't come from combat-related injuries.

Joe LeMar (38:49.417)

Yeah.

Joe LeMar (39:02.378)

That's very true. I get asked all the time. I was just at DW Fields Park walking Sunday and a guy stops me on a mic And everything and he's like you're a veteran and I'm like, nope. He's like what you're doing a great job. Keep it up I'm like, thanks

Brendan Aylward (39:15.981)

Mm-hmm. Snacks. Yeah.

Joe LeMar (39:18.318)

Thanks, you know, you know, and it's, it's one of the aggravating things though, when you go places and they ask if you're a veteran and you say no, and they'll still say, but if you say that you are, you get comped discounts and everything. And I'm like, but I'm not. Oh, yeah.

Brendan Aylward (39:33.346)

Yeah, that's pretty crazy. People initiate that conversation and I know they want to say thank you to you if you say that yes, I am a veteran, but then they're probably like, oh shoot, what did I get myself into when they asked that question? And you're like, oh no. How do I recover? We...

Joe LeMar (39:52.928)

Yeah. No. It's a tumor. It shows me it's all right. I'm fine.

Brendan Aylward (39:59.874)

We try to get all of our guests to give a little bit of insight into what the fitness industry or gyms as a whole could do to be more accessible. Do you have any advice, maybe if someone owns a gym or if someone is entering the field as a personal trainer or a strength coach?

Joe LeMar (40:19.638)

Yeah, I go and look at equipment that's there. Is it fully accessible? Can you go bring a wheelchair up in it? What equipment can you go and have for those athletes that might need different equipment?

You know, then what's normal in a gym and everything else, you know, and some of the easy things are like something like a crank cycle, you know, it doesn't cost that much and everything else. Yet if an athlete misses out due to the weather and everything in their area, that's something that can be, you know, low budget and allow people who are in

Joe LeMar (41:08.48)

work in.

Brendan Aylward (41:10.55)

Yeah, absolutely. So pieces of equipment, I think sometimes too, there's lower economic investments just culturally, among the staff and among the community and the expectation that whether you have a disability or not, you're going to be fully immersed within the community is important as well, which is something like that, Achilles, that Achilles promotes, so.

Joe LeMar (41:24.513)

Mm-hmm.

Joe LeMar (41:34.775)

Absolutely.

Yep, absolutely.

Brendan Aylward (41:39.826)

Well Joe, thank you for sharing your story, sharing your expertise. I'll be leveraging it more over the next couple of months as I prepare for our 5k. We'll stay in touch and I'll bounce some ideas off of you. But thankful to have you in our network and thanks for taking the time to talk today.

Joe LeMar (41:47.512)

Thank you.

Joe LeMar (41:58.514)

No, you're welcome, Brendan. And I, for, if I have one message to get across to everybody, you know, it would be to let everybody know that sports is for everybody, no matter what your ability, there's always a way to go and adapt to get it done.