Disabilities have not limited this Paralympian from living his dreams

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An episode of “To Inspire” highlights Nick Mayhugh, an athlete who has continued to compete at the highest levels even through medical disorders.

TLDR

• Nick Mayhugh was told he would never be able to play soccer again after suffering a seizure and being diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

• Nick continued to stay passionate about the game and became more determined than ever to become a professional athlete.

• Since being diagnosed with his condition, Nick has won 3 gold medals, and 1 silver medal, shattered 2 world records in track, and was named Team USA Soccer Player of the Year.

• Even with his many accolades thus far, Nick still reaches for more goals as he trains for the World Championships, the Pan-American Games, and the 2024 Paralympics.

• Beyond his athletic feats, Nick continues to inspire with his platform by serving as a motivational speaker and advocate for disability rights.

At the age of 14, Nick Mayhugh suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Although doctors told him that he would never be able to play soccer again, Nick did not accept that as his fate.

“I hid it from my friends my teammates, my coaches my college coaches that recruited me,” Mayhugh said. “I hid it from everybody and I mean even some of my family members because I didn't want to be looked at as any different or any less.”

Nick kept that determined mindset as he utilized soccer as a form of escape. Even though Nick put his heart into the game, there were some consequences he faced as he put more energy into soccer along with more wear and tear on his body.

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“When my neurologist finally told me the symptoms are your lack of range of motion, the nerve and the lack of range of motion, nerve function, the sensation and everything that you were feeling, that's what cerebral palsy is,” Nick said.

“I could either feel sorry for myself for now being labeled as disabled, or I could use it to motivate myself to do what I want to do. And that was to be a professional athlete.”

Nick set a goal for himself and saw it come to fruition through hard work. Since being told that he would never be able to play sports again, Nick never felt discouraged. In fact, he did the opposite and proved many wrong. Nick has now won 3 gold medals, and 1 silver medal, shattered 2 world records in track, and was named Team USA Soccer Player of the Year.

Mayhugh saw no limit to his capabilities, so much so that he took on track & field as a means to pursue his paralympic dreams.

“The more I succeeded, the more I realized that it didn't have anything to do with me and it wasn't until I joined the Paralympics that I realized the impact that it could have on other people,” Nick said.

The Tokoyo Olympics was the first major event Mayhugh had run at just 18 months into his track & field career. While representing Team USA in the men's 100 meters T37 event, Mayhugh set a world record with a time of 10.95 and won a gold medal. He also won silver in the men's 400 meters T37 event and won gold in the mixed 4 × 100 meters relay event.

“I remember to this day, my first fan mail. A letter from a kid that has cerebral palsy said that he watches my highlights on YouTube and looks up to me and wants to be like me when he is older.”

With his first Olympics under his belt, Mayhugh now gears up for another run. He’s been training heavily at the Olympic Training Center for his first entire track season both indoor and outdoor. On top of this, he’s also preparing for the World Championships this summer, the Pan-American games in the fall, and the 2024 Paralympics.

Even with so much on his plate, Mayhugh continues to eat and continues to set the bar high for himself.

“I want to be a world champion. I want to win three gold medals at Worlds and really win a medal in every single one and do my best.”

“My goal is to, by the time I retire, that no other kid in this country, let alone this world —having a disability, you may know you have or you may not — knowing that there's a community in a world, a federation of people out there that will accept you for who you truly are.”

Nick never used his biological challenges as an excuse to not go after what he wanted to achieve. As a multitalented athlete, he is a testament to how perseverance is key to prevailing battles you may not think you can even win.

Beyond his inspiration as an athlete, Nick has used his experiences to motivate in other realms as a speaker and advocate for disability rights. He uses his platform to educate people on cerebral palsy and pushes others to pursue their passions.

“To anyone out there that's doubting themselves or that doesn't believe that they can truly do what they set out to do in life. I'm living proof,” Nick said.

“I have four medals and four events that I knew nothing about three years ago today. And if I listened to my doctors, if I listened to my teammates and coaches that laughed at me that told me because I was disabled that I'll never be here today, then I wouldn't be. But I believed. And you have to believe in yourself first because if you don't believe in you, nobody else will.”

• Who would have thought this athlete has this fear 🤔

• Now this guy is a different beast 😳

• This team has everything on lock 👏

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