When he had been just four years old, American Joshua George survived a 12-storey fall from his apartment window in Washington D.C. and terrifyingly plummeting straight down to the concrete below.

Said Joshua, “I had been in my bedroom that day, it was a beautiful spring day and the weather was warm. My parents sent me to my bedroom to take a nap but I decided that I wanted to play instead with the toy on the top shelf of a bookcase next to my window.” 

He continued, “So I had climbed up from my bed and onto the windowsill, side-stepping across the window-sill. But the window was open and it was covered by a screen. When I was about halfway across, I leaned back to rest and the screen popped open and that was when I fell.”

Miracle To Be Alive Today

After his fall, his doctors at the time had deemed it a sheer miracle that he was not only still alive, but that he still had use of his arms and upper body as well as no damage to his brain and other vital organs. 

Said Joshua, “I lost the usage of my legs; I had landed straight up on my feet. I broke my femurs and a bunch of ribs and lost the function of my lungs and I had a lot of swelling on my spine. That is what caused the paralysis.”

He continued, “But my story speaks to the resilience of humans. I am proof that humans are able to adapt to any situation and I was fortunate that I had an amazing family around me. I was raised in a great environment after my accident and I adapted to the situation and now it is in the past. It’s a story that is fun to tell, but that is all it has become.”

Thriving As A Wheelchair Athlete

Today, Joshua, now 34, is not only living his life to the fullest, but he is, in fact, thriving in his career as an elite wheelchair athlete, which has brought him all over the world, from Japan to Switzerland, England and now Singapore, where he will be a part of the first-ever elite field of the new Wheelchair Marathon category at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) taking place this weekend.

Some of Joshua’s career highlights include a win at the London Marathon Wheelchair Race in 2015 as well as a Gold Medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Privilege To Be In Singapore 

Said Joshua, “It is a privilege to be part of this elite marathon field here in Singapore, and have the chance to travel all over the world, to the most exciting cities on the planet, and have the streets shut down so that we can race. It is incredible and nothing can beat that feeling.”

I was speaking to Joshua at the Elite Athlete Press Conference for SCSM which took place yesterday morning at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center.

And Joshua added, “I have been marathoning since 2002, so it has been 16 years now. Over the years, it has been great to see the changes in wheelchair marathons across the planet, where we went from fighting to be included, to being part of the races as a side-show, till now where we are in the press conferences and a major part of the races and accepted as elite athletes.”

Loves Racing and Inspiring Others

However Joshua is shy about seeing himself and his personal story as being an inspiration to others. He said, “I am not a unique case and there is nothing special about me.”

He continued “Basically I love racing not only from a self-esteem point of view, but also to see the effect that we can have on the younger racers, especially young people with disabilities, to show them what they are capable of. It is amazing to have the chance to open their eyes up to these things. But it isn’t just about them; it is also great to motivate young people to go out and run and be active, leading happy and healthy lives in the process. That is the best part of what I do for a living.”

But Joshua also takes pride in the fact that this year’s event being the inaugural Wheelchair Marathon in Singapore, he and his fellow athletes will have the honour of providing feedback to the event organisers for them to make improvements.

He said, “This is a small field but a very elite field. It means so much to us, to be part of this group and to be able to test out the course and offer our feedback in growing this race into an annual spot on the circular for elite wheelchair racers around the world – that would be incredible.”

His Excitement To Race Here

He is also excited to race in Singapore.

Said Joshua, “The response that we have got and the reception from the media and race directors have been all amazing. I am sure that the reception from the spectators on race day will be incredible too and I cannot wait to feel the energy.”

Early Start A Challenge

However though, the early start of the Singapore race will pose a challenge, as it is the first time that these wheelchair athletes will be faced with a pre-dawn start.

Said Joshua, “The time of day that we race will be hard. I have never started a race that early and I have never done a race completely in the dark before. I think that we will end up finishing before sunrise and that is a very unique aspect of the race, but it will also be a lot of fun to finish at sunrise.”

He added, “But for me, coming down from California, I am going to be jet-lagged anyway, so my body clock is off. Since I have to wake up early, I’ll figure that out when it comes.”

He is reassured that the darkness will not be a hindrance, though. Said Joshua, “The organisers have assured us that the roads will be visible and the street lights are bright. We will all have cyclists along side us so I am not too worried.”

Tricky Turns

Joshua, however, pointed out that there are some tricky turns on the route. He said, “Looking over at the course map, there are some tricky corners and turns; in wheelchair racing, our chairs only have three wheels and these will never be as stable as two or four wheels, so the corners will be challenging, especially if we are taking them for the first time, as you do not really know what to expect.”

He added, “But that said, you can go over the map in your head many times, but going through the streets and seeing the course proper for the first time will be exciting. I have heard the road surfaces in Singapore are pristine, so I am excited about it. No portholes and rough patches, just smooth sailing all the way.”

Humidity Not A Problem 

Having raced in the middle of the day at the Rio Olympics though, Joshua stressed that the Singapore humidity will be nothing in comparison. 

He explained, “We have raced in heat and humidity before so racing in the dark would be a nice change as there will be no sun glaring down on us. The weather here won’t be anywhere near as bad as in the Rio or London Olympics.”

Chilling Out After His Race

After Sunday’s race, Joshua plans to spend some time chilling out in Singapore and soaking up the energy and vibrancy of the city before departing on Tuesday.

He said, “This is my last race for the season, so after I am done, I am looking forward to taking some time exploring the city, kicking back and relaxing and simply having fun.”

Continued Joshua, “My brother, who spent some time here earlier, said that I had to go to Clarke Quay. I plan to do that, but I am also looking for more suggestions from the locals on where I should be heading.”