Jim Bob Bizzell
Jim Bob Bizzell has always been a standout athlete. He played safety for the McMurry University football team (Abilene, Texas) and was All-American on 400-meter relay team in the 2005-06 season.
Bizzell's world changed in March 2007 when he crashed a friend's motorcycle and lost part of his left leg through amputation. Despite the setback, Bizzell never lost hope or his drive to compete. A little more than a year after his injury, Bizzell made it all the way to Beijing, China, as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Team.
While in Bejiing, Bizzell displayed the promise of a future star. In the men's T44 200m and 400m, Bizzell claimed two silver medals and set two world records. As a member of the world record-breaking 4 x 100m T42-T46 relay team, Bizzell won his first career Paralympic Games gold medal.
Bizzell's love for track is a little unusual for an alumnus of football-crazed Permian High in Odessa, Texas. His dad, Joe Bob Bizzell, had been a three-time all-state football selection for the Panthers back in the 1970's. Nevertheless, Jim Bob Bizzell's affinity for track and field allowed him to pursue the sport following his injury.
Along with training, Bizzell currently works as a mentor for juveniles in Oklahoma.
Major Achievements
- 2008: Gold medal, Men's 4 x 100m Relay T42-T46; silver medal, T44 400m; silver medal, T44 200m - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
- 2008: Second place, 400m; third place, 200m - U.S. Paralympic Trials-Track and Field, Tempe, Ariz.
