Rudy Garcia-Tolson Explained

Rudy Garcia-Tolson
Nationality:American
Birth Date:14 September 1988
Birth Place:Riverside, California, U.S.
Sport:Swimming, Athletics, Triathlon
Show-Medals:yes

Rudy Garcia-Tolson (born September 14, 1988) is a Paralympic swimmer, runner and triathlete from the USA.

He was born with popliteal pterygium syndrome, resulting in a club foot, webbed fingers on both hands, a cleft lip and palate and the inability to straighten his legs. As a 5 year old wheelchair user, after 15 operations, he decided he would rather be a double amputee and walk with prosthetics. He had both legs removed above the knee.[1] [2]

Swimming

Garcia-Tolson started swimming at age 6.[3] Within a year, the seven-year old was competing against children without disabilities and breaking records.[4]

When he was eight years old, he stated that he would swim in the 2004 Paralympic Games.[5] He was true to his word and won the gold medal in the 200 meter individual medley and broke the world record for his SM7 class.[6]

In the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, when he was 20, he again won the gold medal in the 200 meter individual medley event, breaking his own SM7 world record twice in the process.[7] He also won the bronze medal in 100m breaststroke SB7.

At the 2012 Paralympics in London, he broke the SM7 world record in the 200 meter individual medley heat. In the final, both he and Yevheniy Bohodayko swam faster still. Bohodayko touched the wall first; Garcia-Tolson won silver.[8] He is targeting the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo.[9]

On April 14, 2022, he was named to the roster to represent the United States at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships.[10]

Other sports

Athletics

Garcia-Tolson started running at age 7.[11] By the age of 13, he held T42 American Records in all distances from 400 metres to the half marathon.[12]

At the 2011 Parapan American Games, he won a silver medal in the T42 100 metre event.[13] At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, he competed on the track as well as in the pool. He ran personal best times in his T42 100 metre and 200 metre events, but did not qualify for finals.[14]

Triathlon

Garcia-Tolson competed in first his triathlon at age 8, as the swimmer in a winning relay team.[15] He raced with celebrities including Robin Williams as part of Team Braveheart.[16]

At age 10, he completed the first of many individual triathlons.[17]

In 2006, he completed the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, Florida. He attempted the 2009 Ironman World Championship in Kona but missed the bike cut by 8 minutes. Six weeks later, at Ironman Arizona, he became the first double above-knee amputee to complete a full Ironman Triathlon.

Paratriathlon has been included in the program for the 2016 Paralympics. Although he has previously described triathlon as "cross training for swimming", Garcia-Tolson has indicated some interest in competing.

Other Sports

Garcia-Tolson's other activities include karate, skateboarding, as well as kayaking and mountain biking.[4]

Recognition and awards

In 2003, Garcia-Tolson was named one of Teen People Magazine's "20 Teens Who Will Change the World". He was the subject of The Final Sprint's December 2006 "Success Story"; a monthly column that aims to highlight remarkable and factual accounts of runners who have overcome major obstacles and/or changed their lives via running.[18] He has won several awards, including the Arete Courage in Sports Award and the Casey Martin Award from Nike. Following his success at Ironman Arizona, he was nominated for an ESPY Award in 2010.

Personal life

Garcia-Tolson has been a spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation since 1999.

He is a student at Southwestern College,[19] likes hip hop music and skateboarding,[20] and has one brother and three sisters.[21]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lee Gruenfeld profiles the amazing Rudy Garcia-Tolson . ironman.com . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130629061030/http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2009/10/rudy-garcia-tolson-athlete.aspx . June 29, 2013 . live.
  2. Web site: Amputee Rudy Garcia-Tolson begins Kona quest at Wildflower . Triathlete magazine . 2009 . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120419152721/http://triathlon.competitor.com/2009/04/features/amputee-rudy-garcia-tolson-begins-kona-quest-at-2009-wildflower_410 . April 19, 2012 . live.
  3. Web site: Paralympic Spotlight: Rudy Garcia-Tolson . Swimming World Magazine . June 2009 . January 25, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130301130539/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21369.asp . March 1, 2013 . mdy.
  4. Book: Developmental reading assessment : grades 4-8 . 2004 . Pearson Education Canada . Beaver, Joetta., Carter, Mark A., Sreenivasan, Jyotsna., León, Vicki., León, Vicki., Siburt, Ruth. . 0131225979 . Canadian . Don Mills, ON . 156910269.
  5. Web site: Rudy Garcia-Tolson Becomes First Double Above-Knee Amputee To Complete Ironman . Triathlete magazine . November 25, 2009 . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120126020311/http://triathlon.competitor.com/2009/11/news/rudy-garcia-tolson-becomes-first-double-above-knee-amputee-to-complete-ironman_6080 . January 26, 2012 . live.
  6. Web site: ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games-Swimming-Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211914/http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/results2pdf.php?sport=swimming&competition=2004PG&gender=m&discipline=&event=200+m+Individual+Medley&eclass=SM7 . March 3, 2016 . live.
  7. Web site: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games – Swimming – Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 . International Paralympic Committee . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205414/http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/results2pdf.php?sport=swimming&competition=2008PG&gender=m&discipline=&event=200+m+Individual+Medley&eclass=SM7 . March 3, 2016 . mdy.
  8. Web site: London 2012 Paralympic Games – Swimming – Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 . International Paralympic Committee . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210735/http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/results2pdf.php?sport=swimming&competition=2012PG&gender=m&discipline=&event=200+m+Individual+Medley&eclass=SM7 . March 3, 2016 . mdy.
  9. News: Futterman. Matthew. Newman. Brittainy. 2020-05-15. The Paralympics Got Postponed. A Retired Champion Got an Idea.. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-08-17. 0362-4331.
  10. Web site: U.S. Paralympics Swimming Nominates 25 athletes to World Championship Roster . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516011227/https://www.teamusa.org/USParaSwimming/Features/2022/April/14/US-Paralympics-Swimming-Nominates-25-athletes-to-World-Championship-Roster . dead . May 16, 2022 . teamusa.org . Kristen . Gowdy . April 14, 2022 . April 14, 2022.
  11. Web site: Rudy Garcia-Tolson Receives Second-Annual Casey Martin Award . swimnews.com . October 31, 2002 . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014173751/http://swimnews.com/News/view/1805 . October 14, 2013 . live.
  12. Web site: Rudy Garcia-Tolson: A brave heart is a powerful weapon . Uncommon Friends . 2001 . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172433/http://www.daveboon.com/newsletters/Rudy_Garcia-Tolson.pdf . October 14, 2013 . live.
  13. Web site: Garcia-Tolson makes push for third Paralympics . The Press-Enterprise . June 9, 2013 . January 25, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130216152934/http://blog.pe.com/gregg-patton/2012/06/09/column-garcia-tolson-makes-push-for-third-paralympics/ . February 16, 2013 . dead.
  14. Web site: Rudy Garcia-Tolson . London 2012 Paralympics . January 25, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130516091602/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/athlete/garcia-tolson-rudy-5510604/ . May 16, 2013 . mdy-all.
  15. Web site: Rudy Garcia-Tolson . Bootcampers (including extract from Triathlete magazine, 1999) . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172214/http://www.bootcampers.com/newspaper/rudy.html . October 14, 2013 . live.
  16. Web site: Team Braveheart inspires each other . USA Today . December 19, 2005 . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131015004008/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/2005-12-19-athletes-special-bonds_x.htm . October 15, 2013 . live.
  17. Web site: The start of it all: Rudy Garcia-Tolson. Edited footage of triathlons from 1997–2009 . May 3, 2011 . Rudy Garcia-Tolson's youtube . January 25, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140125204308/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHQ_Wg3h_sg . January 25, 2014 . live.
  18. Web site: Podcast 3: Interview with Paralympic gold medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080704205806/http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2007/01/tfs-podcast-3-interview-with-paralympic-gold-medalist-rudy-garcia-tolson/ . July 4, 2008.
  19. Web site: Photo: First Day of College! . Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Twitter . January 16, 2013 . January 25, 2013.
  20. Web site: Rudy Garcia Tolson; Iron-man, Swimmer, Skateboarder and Paraplegic . https://archive.today/20130217032848/http://voices.yahoo.com/rudy-garcia-tolson-iron-man-swimmer-skateboarder-and-8714649.html . dead . February 17, 2013 . Yahoo Voices . January 25, 2013.
  21. Web site: Rudy Garcia-Tolson . https://web.archive.org/web/20120425105916/http://www.teamusa.org/Athletes/GA/Rudy-GarciaTolson.aspx . dead . April 25, 2012 . Team USA . January 25, 2013.

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