Paralympic gold medalist visits Rowan

April Holmes, known as the “World’s Fastest Amputee,”  visited Rowan University last week to spread a message of motivation and inspiration.

In 2001, Holmes had an accident that would leave her without her leg. But by 2008, Holmes won a gold medal in the woman’s 100-meter race at the summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.

Holmes told the crowd that growing up, running track had been a significant part of her life. Her uncle was the coach of a local track team. Her mother encouraged running because she believed in the idea that if you keep kids doing something productive, it helps them stay out of trouble.

Unfortunately, on Jan. 1, 2001, Holmes got into a train accident. For 17 minutes,  she knew she was under the platforms and that the train was resting on her leg. It was at this point that she began to contemplate her life.

“I told myself, I’m gonna live differently,” Holmes said. “My life can’t end like this. I have so much to do, …if I [just] get out of it.”

Holmes made a vow that day: if she were to make it out of this alive, she would devote the rest of her life traveling, lending a hand and helping people whoever she could.

When she woke up, she realized that her leg had been amputated. She was upset because she could no longer do the two things in the world that she loved: running and basketball.

“The sunniest day of my life was when my doctor who had to do the emergency surgery came in and handed me a pamphlet about paraplegic/disabled magazines for the Olympics,” Holmes said. “It gave me hope, it gave me faith, it gave me determination.”

In the 2008 Summer Paralympics, Holmes won a gold medal.

“It was very inspirational and it gives hope to people who are disabled,” said Amber Greway, a junior health and exercise science major.

Holmes passed around her gold medal to everyone in the room, semi-threatening anyone’s attempt to steal it by stating, while laughing, that she’d be able to catch them instantly.

“I thought it was very inspirational,” said Dominique DiVece, a junior health and exercise science/health and fitness management major.

The event was held as part of Disability Awareness Month. It was the third event held in the last month. The school has also held a wheelchair ballroom dance and wheelchair rugby.