Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Local News
ECU recreational therapy student sets sites on 2024 Paralympics
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GREENVILLE, N.C (WNCT) — Andrew Hairston had his life completely changed after losing his leg in a tragic accident.
Hairston is a current recreational therapy major at East Carolina University and a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain. His life was completely changed after losing his leg. He’s now turning his situation into something positive, with goals of competing in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
After deployment overseas for an extended time due to COVID-19, Hairston and his wife headed back home to Onslow County and eventually bought a new house. On the way there, he was hit by a car as he stepped out on the side of the road to help fix an item being moved on the vehicle.
“The joke is that I totaled two cars with my body, of course,” he said. “But yeah, honestly when the accident happened, I didn’t think anything of it. I was on the ground, yelled for help, when people came out my legs were numb. So I thought I just hit my funny bone and we were going to get the paramedics there, get checked out go back home.”
The next thing he knew, he was awake in the hospital without his left leg. But nothing could break Hairston’s spirit. After months of recovery, he was compelled to compete in the Paralympics, turning his sights to hand cycling. But it didn’t come easy during his first race.
“I got my butt handed to me in that race,” he said. “I came in eighth out of ninth place. The ninth guy wasn’t supposed to be in my classification. So, it was a rough time and I remember almost quitting after that.”
Hairston was overwhelmed by the support of the veterans in the hand cycle community who encouraged him to keep going.
“Even though I didn’t do as well as I wanted to in that paracycling open, the times I was dropping a lot the guys were saying it took them years to get to that point,” he said.
Hairston continued steady progress and finished in the top of his classification in each race he was in. Originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, his goal will be to compete for his homeland in the Paralympics.
“I’m now lined up with the best of the world,” he said. “Being from the small island of Saint Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands, to be ranked number 12 in the world right now in my classification. We have a very good shot at maybe getting selected for the Paralympic Games in Paris.”
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Gabby Sartori
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