As a three time Paralympic track medalist who is chasing Paralympic gold for Canada at his fourth Games, Jason is driven by the desire to leave it all on the track. Sports have been an important part of Jason’s life since before his family immigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland in
1991. Jason, along with his two brothers, Jon and Chris, grew up with a congenital eye condition called Leber’s Amorosis through which they could see only a tiny amount of light; but this did not prevent them from playing soccer by tying a grocery bag around a soccer ball or from riding bicycles around their neighbourhood. In high school, Jason participated in cross country running, wrestling, goalball, and track. Out of these sports, he took to running and was encouraged to stick with it. Training and competing with a guide runner who would run beside him, Jason ran throughout high school and continued in university, qualifying for his first national team in 1998. Since then, he along with guide runner Greg Dailey have represented Canada on the track at three Paralympic Games, from which they have brought home one bronze and two silver medals in the T11 1500 metre competition.
It has not always been a smooth road for Jason, as he and team mate Stuart McGregor were seriously injured after being struck by a sport utility vehicle while on a training run in 2005. After a surgery and months of rehabilitation, Jason started back training once again and alongside Greg, was able to eventually re-establish himself as one of the fastest blind runners in the world.
Away from the track, Jason moved to Ottawa in 2003 after graduating from the University of Guelph with a degree in international development. He has been married to his wife and #1 fan, Colleen for five years and they live with their longhaired cat named Gracie. Playing guitar and drinking coffee at a local coffee shop are ways Jason likes to relax when not training. He works at the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability where he coordinates a national campaign called All Abilities Welcome which promotes inclusive recreation among Canadians with a disability. Jason has also been involved recently as a founding member of Achilles Ottawa, a local running club that is evolving as a community of support for blind and visually impaired runners.
