Paralympics Bronze Winner

Adapted Athletics Coach Wins Bronze in Paralympics

“God, show me that you’re real,” Paralympian and SDSU Adapted Athletics sprint coach Isaac Jean-Paul said, moments before taking his last jump in the men’s long jump T13 competition at the 2020 Paralympics.

Despite being born with juvenile retinoschisis, a visual impairment that affects one’s ability to see clearly, Jean-Paul has always excelled in sports. In high school, he was a stellar athlete in basketball, football and track. He was a five-time All-American for Lewis University in the high jump and a NCAA Division II indoor champion. Frustrated with his performance thus far and sitting in fourth place, Jean-Paul had one last shot to make the podium. In the biggest moment of his life and on the world’s greatest stage, something wasn’t right. 

Photo: Joe Kusumoto

Jean-Paul turned to a Team USA coach on the sideline and asked, “Hey, where’s my tenth step for my left foot at?”

“You’re too far ahead, move back two feet,” she said.

And so he did. Jean-Paul not only took two steps back from his starting position, but two giant leaps of faith. On his last jump in the Paralympics, he made the choice to not only trust a Team USA coach he had not previously known, but also trust when previous coaches had misled him.

“At that moment, when I had asked God, “Show me that you’re real,’ he, in my head, told me, “Isaac, trust,’” Jean-Paul said. “When that coach told me to move back two feet, trust came over me.”

Taking the advice and moving two steps back were crucial. His final jump: 6.93 meters, pushing him onto the podium by just two centimeters.

“Team USA is the hardest team in the world to make,” Director of Adapted Athletics Ahkeel Whitehead said. “Every standard is severely above every other country, so to make Team USA is already good. And then, to perform the way he did, it's just outstanding. I just love seeing people that put in the work and are so deserving actually get the results because that doesn’t always happen.”

After years of training and with a COVID-19 delay, it was finally worth it. Jean-Paul was a bronze medalist.

“I literally came to a realization a couple of days ago that I'm part of a class of individuals that accomplished something that many people tried to accomplish, and that are still currently trying,” Jean-Paul said. “To be on that podium, I have to have pride!”

But getting to that moment wasn’t easy. The world had come to a halt, the games were delayed and sports had to be put on hold. For the first time ever, Jean-Paul lost his identity. He no longer had sports to define him, he had to define himself. 

“COVID really helped me understand a lot of things about myself because it allowed me to take some time away from the sport and really start soul searching to find my identity,” Jean-Paul said. “I was using running to run away from something. I am visually impaired. My entire life, I use sports as an outlet to, I guess, be normal.”

Time on the track turned into time finding who he truly was. Though he did not win gold, Jean-Paul is thankful for the entire experience because now he has the priceless victory of true confidence in who he is.

“In my head, I did win gold,” Jean-Paul said. “It’s definitely a humbling experience, a moment of gratitude, a moment of appreciation. Now that I’ve had time to really think and understand what’s happened, you know, God made that happen for me. He had something bigger for me to see. It wasn't just going in there and getting a medal and getting some money, even though that would have been good. It's the lessons.”

Now, Jean-Paul is bringing his Paralympics experience from Tokyo to San Diego. As a coach for the SDSU Adapted Athletics team, Jean-Paul plays a pivotal role in giving SDSU students with disabilities a chance to thrive. The program, which consists of four athletes and six coaches, allows student-athletes with physical disabilities an outlet to compete at the highest level.

And although Jean-Paul has been a sprint coach since 2019, his Paralympics experience has given him a new skill set that is crucial to the program’s mission. With the SDSU Adapted Athletics team being the first competitive collegiate adapted athletics program in California, the program strives to be the pipeline between being a collegiate athlete and joining Team USA.

“We want to develop everyone to their fullest ability,” Whitehead said. “But we have the resources to also say, ‘We can help you actually get to the games.’ That’s what’s unique about our program. There aren’t other programs that are trying to help athletes with that second part of reaching the highest level by making the national team and competing in the world championships or Paralympic games.”

Through coaching, Jean-Paul has found his passion: inspiring other athletes to not let their disability get in the way of following their dreams. His extensive knowledge about the sport coupled with his experience at the highest level gives his athletes an competitive advantage not only physically, but in their mental game as well.

Each time he steps on the track, Jean-Paul is taking strides to change the narrative around individuals with disabilities. Not only is he paving the way for a new generation of athletes, but he’s found himself in the process too.

“I always tell people I run for change and I jump for change,” Jean-Paul said. “Every time I compete, I feel like that's an opportunity to show the world my story, my passion and why I do this. It’s bigger than just a sport because this sport taught me more about myself, more about life than just learning how to run or jump over a bar. It taught me how to love myself.”

Fresh Eggs!

Backyard chickens are all the rage! Celebrities — Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Lady Gaga, to name a few, and A.S. staff members, are all enjoying “backyard fresh” eggs.

Raising chickens is not hard, but they are a serious time commitment and require daily attention. But owners say there’s also a “hen zen” that comes with keeping chickens. Starting and ending the day with some fresh air and a little labor is a type of self-care. Chicken ownership can have health benefits that go way beyond fresh eggs.

How many chickens can I have in my backyard?

The number of chickens that may be kept on your property is based on how far the chicken coop is from your property lines. Generally, most single-family homes in the city of San Diego are allowed up to five chickens, provided the chicken coop is in the rear yard, 5 feet from side property lines and 13 feet from the rear property line. For more detailed information, visit the City of San Diego’s Urban Farming website.

Should I have more than one hen?

Yes. Chickens have a strong social structure.

Are chickens noisy?

Roosters are noisy and prohibited in the city of San Diego. A hen will cackle at times during the day and will occasionally squawk, but they are generally quieter than everything else happening in your neighborhood. Hens sleep once it is dark.

At what age do hens start laying eggs?

Typically, hens will start to lay when they are 5 to 6 months of age.

How many eggs will each hen lay?

A healthy adult hen will generally lay up to 280 eggs a year.

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“Something interesting that I learned by raising chickens...”

The Zamora Family chickens.

Michelle and one of her hens.

“I learned that chickens clean themselves by taking a dust bath. They literally roll around in dirt and fluff up their feathers to ‘bathe’ daily. It's the most hilarious thing to watch, because as you can imagine, they are upside down with their feet up sometimes, rolling around in the dirt.”
  — Michelle Zamora, SDSU Children’s Center Director

The beginning of Patty's chicken experience.

Patty's "free-range" chickens.

“Chickens LOVE meat. Including and maybe even especially, chicken.”
  — Patty Rea, Associate Executive Director

Paul's son, Jack, with one of their family's chickens.

“They have a lot of personality. I had chickens as a kid and don’t remember them as being very interesting, but our kids love watching them and checking for eggs. A couple of them even tolerate little boys following them around and trying to catch them.”
  — Paul Lang, MBAC, Instructional and Maintenance Manager

Halloween Movie Quotes

It’s almost Halloween!

Get into the Halloween spirit by guessing what famous Halloween movie the following quotes come from. 

1. "It's Alive! It's Alive!"
2. "Here's Johnny!"
3. “Whatever You Do, Don’t Fall Asleep.”
4. “It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”
5. “Magic is really very simple, all you’ve got to do is want something and then let yourself have it.”
6. “I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.”
7. “We all go a little mad sometimes.”
8. “Do you like scary movies?”
9. “They’re all gonna laugh at you!”
10. “I see dead people.”

Answers ↓