Jaydin Blackwell

Citius, altius, fortius (faster, higher, stronger). That’s the Olympic motto. But the original values of the Games were expressed in a document known as the Olympic Charter: encourage effort, preserve human dignity and develop harmony. Over time, they have evolved to:

• Strive for excellence and encourage others to do the same.
• Respect yourself, the rules, your opponents, the environment and the public.
• Celebrate friendship by setting aside rivalries, and realize that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Does any of this sound familiar? The overlap of Olympic and Musial ideals is total and complete. Perhaps no one embodied the Olympic/Musial duality better this year than Paralympian Jaydin Blackwell.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Jaydin competes in sprints in the T38 class, for athletes with impaired coordination. At his first Paralympics this summer, he crushed the world record in winning the 100 meters, then matched his own world record in taking gold in the 400.

But Jaydin was a champ before he even left the blocks in Paris. He was preparing for the 100m final in the lane next to Peng Zhou of China, who was having difficulty securing a strap to his upper leg. Jaydin left his lane to help Zhou secure the strapping. After Zhou expressed his thanks, Jaydin patted him on the chest, as if to say, “You’ve got this.”

Just 10.64 seconds after this simple act of kindness, Jaydin earned a gold medal and a world record. Talk about instant karma and rapid rewards. He repeated both accomplishments days later in the 400.

“It feels really good to get the double gold,” he said, “like I promised myself all those years ago.”

Born premature after just 26 weeks, Jaydin was diagnosed at age 6 with cerebral palsy, a disease that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. He didn’t let that stop him from playing football after moving to Detroit and dreaming of NFL stardom, even though his mom, Rochelle Davis, says he wasn’t cut out for it. “He was faster than anyone else,” she told The Independent, “but he was just too kind and polite.”

So, he joined the AAU’s Motor City Track Club and competed in high school on a relay team that qualified for the state finals in 2021. He continued running in college, competing at Purdue University Northwest. “Cerebral palsy has not affected my hopes and dreams,” he told the Detroit News. “It just makes my muscles tight, and I have to try more than the regular person.”

He earned gold in the 100 and 400 at his first international meet, the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships. And despite his acclaim, he has remained humble and continued to train near his home in Detroit, staying close to family.

“It means a lot to hear my mom cheering for me,” he said after his victories in Paris. “She’s been to every track meet since middle school, AAU, high school, collegiate level and now here. It means she’s really dedicated, and she really loves me. And I appreciate that.”

Along with the acclaim has come the realization that Jaydin is a role model, embracing his position as an advocate for Paralympians and inspiration for youngsters.

“Don’t let anyone stop you from what you want to achieve in anything you do,” he says. “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do. You are your biggest advocate, your biggest strength.”