Lex
Gillette

Paralympian 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020

0
GOLD

5
SILVER

0
BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

Lex Gillette walking with hands on his hips

Height

6'1"

Age

Hometown

Raleigh, NC

Education

East Carolina University

classification: T11/F11

Gillette’s life has been guided by one simple phrase, “there’s no need for sight when you have vision"...In 1992, eight-year-old Gillette was getting ready for bed when he noticed blurriness...Doctors discovered retina detachments in both eyes, leading to numerous hospital visits and 10 surgeries before he lost his sight completely...His mother, Verdina, encouraged him to maintain his independence, keeping him in public schools and sports...A mandatory fitness test and an adapted recreation specialist, Brian Whitmer, at Athens Drive introduced Gillette to the event that he would ultimately win three Paralympic medals for...Whitmore would clap to give Gillette the signal to run to help keep him in a straight line, allowing him to count his strides...With a natural talent for jumping, he continued to hone his skills as a co-captain on his high school track & field team and after college, earning him his first trip at 19 years old to Athens where he took home a silver medal at the 2004 Paralympic Games...Son of Rickey and Verdina Gillette-Simms...Has one younger sister, Uvonne...Has worked with sighted guide Wes Williams since 2007...Only totally blind athlete in the world to eclipse the 22-foot barrier in the long jump...Currently trains at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Center in California...Hobbies include singing, playing the piano, writing, reading, traveling, and enjoying other sports...Serves as an athlete mentor for Classroom Champions...Outside of being an athlete, he is a motivational speaker and singer/songwriter...Favorite professional sports team is the NFL’s Carolina Panthers...His mother, Verdina, has been legally blind since she was 18 because of glaucoma...Has sang the national anthem at major sporting events, including at a San Diego Padres baseball game

Paralympic Experience

Five-time Paralympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020); Five-time Paralympic medalist (5 silver)

Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, silver (long jump)
Paralympic Games Rio 2016, silver (long jump)
Paralympic Games London 2012, silver (long jump), 4th (triple jump)
Paralympic Games Beijing 2008, silver (long jump), 5th (triple jump), 13th (200-meter), 14th (100-meter)
Paralympic Games Athens 2004, silver (long jump), 6th (4x100-meter relay)

World Championships Experience

Most recent: 2023 – 7th (Long Jump T11 - Men)
Years of participation: Long Jump T11 - Men 2006, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023; 100m T11 - Men 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017; 4 x 100m Relay T11-13 - Men 2006, 2013, 2017; Triple Jump T11 - Men 2011, 2013; 200m T11 - Men 2011; 4 x 400m Relay T11-13 - Men 2006
Medals: 9 (4 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
- Gold – 2019 (Long Jump T11 - Men); 2017 (Long Jump T11 - Men); 2015 (Long Jump T11 - Men); 2013 (Long Jump T11 - Men)
- Silver – 2013 (4 x 100m Relay T11-13 - Men, Triple Jump T11 - Men); 2006 (Long Jump T11 - Men)
- Bronze – 2011 (200m T11 - Men, Triple Jump T11 - Men)

Paralympic Experience

5-time Paralympian; 5-time Paralympic medalist (5 silver)
- Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, silver (Long Jump T11 - Men)
- Paralympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, silver (Long Jump T11 - Men), 11th (100m T11 - Men)
- Paralympic Games London 2012, (4 x 100m Relay T11-13 - Men), silver (Long Jump T11 - Men), 4th (Triple Jump T11 - Men), 13th (100m T11 - Men), 16th (200m T11 - Men)
- Paralympic Games Beijing 2008, (4 x 100m Relay T11-13 - Men), silver (Long Jump T11 - Men), 5th (Triple Jump T11 - Men), 13th (200m T11 - Men), 14th (100m T11 - Men)
- Paralympic Games Athens 2004, silver (Long Jump T11 - Men), 6th (4 x 100m Relay T11-13 - Men)

Lex Gillette: My Story

Content categorized by:
Lex Gillette
Lex Gillette Has Vision - For Paris and Beyond
A blind long jumper with five Paralympic silver medals, Lex Gillette is aiming for gold in Paris.
Read More
Content categorized by:
It feels great to touch the tactile design of my Tokyo 2020 silver medal.
"Tokyo 2020" is written in braille on the front and there are notches on the side and on the ribbon to indicate that it's a silver medal. Can't wait to get my hands on that gold medal in #Paris2024!
Content categorized by:
Lex Gillette
Lex Gillette Gives a Lesson in Long Jump
See what kind of "hops" Tanith White has after getting a lesson in long jumping from Paralympic silver medalist Lex Gillette.
Watch Now
Content categorized by:
No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision just became an Amazon Best Seller!
It is currently ranked #1 in Individual Sports eBooks. Thank you to all my supporters and followers for making this happen!
Read More, opens in a new tab

1 of 4

.css-sycr9x{font-family:'Helvetica Now Text Condensed Bold',Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);color:var(--semantics-text-title-secondary-color);text-transform:uppercase;font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-xl);line-height:1.33;text-align:center;margin-top:1rem;}@media screen and (min-width: 48em){.css-sycr9x{line-height:1.2;}}To browse more content, please enable JavaScript.

MORE ABOUT LEX#

.css-1j4tj0a{font-family:'Helvetica Now Text Condensed Bold',Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);color:var(--semantics-text-title-secondary-color);text-transform:uppercase;font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-xl);line-height:1.33;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-6);}@media screen and (min-width: 48em){.css-1j4tj0a{line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-9);}}To see video content, please enable JavaScript.