My Favorite Athlete With No Legs - Blake Leeper

What's more frustrating being born without legs or being a black man in America.

Ooh, that's a good win because they actually are close to being equal.

Cash Show, Cash Show, to Show. Welcome to Toss Show another episode. How you doing, Eddie?

I'm doing great. How are you?

I'm well? Thank you? You got any cool new VIDs I need to check out?

No no videos this week? Huh?

Your only job is to give me one interesting video that I may have missed. It has slipped through the cracks that I didn't see in you and there's none this week. What that's the beauty of Toss Show. Apparently some weeks no videos. So anything going on in the world that I need to know about? Now?

All right?

Well I'm caught up. Let's talk sports. Got my favorite pair of Olympian on today, and I'm excited about that. Let me tell you something about US athletes that compete under a different countries flag. This happens all the time because they're not good enough to compete under the American flag. They don't make the team, so they go to another country.

I mean I used your another knees are killing me.

You ever had you ever got had runners?

High? No?

I've never run that far. You can talk about runners high like it's a good thing. You know what else gets you high and all? I don't do that either. Ventanill get you high?

Right?

Oh yeah, yeah, running has never been my thing. That's why I'm so inspired by today's guest. A world class sprinter would never be something that interests me. But he's overcome so many obstacles. I mean, I'm a tall, handsome, successful, straight white male. The only obstacles I've ever had to deal with our my in laws. Blake was born without legs. He's a built in excuse to never run. He's going against God's will. God's plan for Blake was to be

Thank you so much. Your favorite spitting without legs. I love that titles.

I want you to know that I have a lot of black friends without legs.

Yes, yes, I'm sure it's like an ample amount. And I'm your your favorite one out of all level Well, yeah.

Most of them don't run. I mean, what are the odds that your name is Leaper?

I know, right, born without legs, last name Leaper.

That's just weird. That's always how it is, cisy humor. My name is John White. By the way, I should, I should definitely start by thanking you for your service.

Yeah, our country. No, I'm not military, No stolen down. I am not military. You didn't serve in Vietnam.

I did not.

I was not m You'd be surprised how many how many people think that I was?

You were in Vietnam? Well, because I mean, black people don't age. I don't know. I don't want to guess how old you were. That's okay, so you were. Our research is horrible. Blake is my first question. I asked all my guests. Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes, I would say I do believe in ghosts.

Honestly, gun to your head. You believe in ghosts?

Yes, I do believe in ghosts. Really, yes I do. I felt them tickle my feet at night. But I'm joking.

You don't believe in ghosts?

Yes I do. No, I do. You really don't know spirits. I don't know if it goes through the spirits. You know, it's nothing. It's something that's like floating around.

There's nothing that we can't.

See, but we feel we don't feel anything, right, don't you feel something? No? Never, all the stories and everything.

Could care less about the stories, couldn't care less orry born.

Yeah, I was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, like sixty miles east of Knoxville, Tennessee. For people who don't know, born with the congeneral bird defect fibbler him a milia. So the day that I was born, the doctors basically told my parents, my mother and father, that I was never gonna walk or run a day in my life. My legs didn't develop. I didn't grow anything basically below my knees. I have my knee joints, but I'm missing my calf muscles and my and my ankles and my feet.

Okay, yeah, that's that's that's a blow because this is how old are you?

Yeah? I'm thirty three now.

Okay, So I mean they didn't know this until you delivered.

Right right, So I was delivered, took me into the ICU, came back and had the conversation with my mother and father, mister and missus Leaper I'm sorry, but your baby boy, Blake is born missing both of his legs. You know, he's never gonna walk, he's never gonna jump, he's gonna be bound in a wheelchair his his whole life. And so like it was, I would say, initially a blow to my family to be of course. Yeah, yeah, it definitely was a blow to my family.

You're a father, yes, I am, I am? And how old you just three? Three?

Yeah? God, it's such a crazy ag.

Let me tell you did a pandemic.

Yeah, I had a pandemic baby, I did.

You were just born?

Oh my god, I had nothing else to do. I was at home making babies. It was ridiculous or.

Congratulations, but like you, obviously I assume went to all these check ups.

Oh my gosh. Yes.

And if you would have, like in this day and age, if you would have found out like oh, at nine weeks or ten weeks or hey, there's no legs in your baby, yeah, some people might be like, oh, I don't want to have this child.

Right right, And it's a common situation, you know, having a child with a disability. You know, we don't want to deal with this. The divorce rate goes up with the parents like all these things that come with the stigmatism of having a child missing not only one leg, but missing both his legs, and so for my parents to kind of stick into it, right, I asked them the day that I was born, like, well, what'd you say? Like, mom, like,

That's pretty great. Are they still together? Yeah?

Yeah, they fight every day, but they're still together.

Where'd you go to college?

I went to the University of Tennessee, Go balls, go balls. Baby.

Let me tell you something. I truly love Knoxville.

Yes, yes, is it a great knock? Do we call it knox Vegas?

Were you an athlete at the University of Knoxville or University Tesnsee?

No, I wasn't. So I did play basketball in baseball growing up as a kid. But once I went to University of Tennessee, I was just kind of focusing on my studies. I was pre med when applied physics, so I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. That was altered obviously once I got the running blades. So I got the running prosthetic blades in college, started competing competitively and became one of the fastest Paralympic runners in the world within a year.

Yeah that's pretty impressive.

Yeah, what am I supposed to say? Abled? Yeah? So it's interesting because I am technically a disabled man. So I am a man with a disability, and to compare against people that have their legs, I say, able bodied runners or you know somebody that is able body. But it's it's kind of interesting that I am labeled disabled. But I'm faster than you.

So you think you're faster, you don't know. I've never actually exerted like my full course, so I have no idea how fast I could go.

I means, as a white man with those type of glasses in that outfit, I guarantee you that I that you can't. You can't.

I'm not bound by a sweater and glasses. I didn't pick the sweater out the glasses help me read because I'm old, I'm pretty quick. Yeah, I mean I get your Your four hundred meters is your special right right? Yes, still farther than I want to go. I just hate running.

Yeah.

Does that bother you that people with legs hate running?

No, it doesn't. I mean to be honest with you, I hated running growing up as a kid too. I mean I was missing both of my legs, so I always came last in all the running events. So as a kid growing up, I hated running like I couldn't.

How bad were you at at the beginning of your life where you're like it?

It was pretty I mean it was the technology. It was like sticks. Basically imagine me as a pirate, just like two sticks, just like walking around.

Just did your family have money?

I mean so they did. They had good jobs and they had My mom was a nurse, So we did have the whole fight in the battle with the entrance companies. Because people, for those who don't realize, especially in the disabled community, certain prosthetic legs like the ones you see me walk in today, are consider a luxury, of course, and not a necessity. So you can say, hey, I want to run, I want to walk. You send your letter into the insurance you know a company and say we don't care. Right, figured it.

Would rame, yes, play video.

Yes, exactly. So my mom was a big advocate for me to to get the right prosthetic legs with their insurance, just to stay active. I didn't get the running blades, but I had decent legs to play basketball and baseball as a kid. And then once I got the running legs, that was the biggest jump in my career to where I was just an average kid, maybe average disabled kid that could run up down the basketball court, to now I'm one of the fastest paralympians disabled men in the world.

You were born without legs, hit, you're considered an amputee.

Yeah, So because I had a technically at four or five years old, I went back, I had a revision of my legs where I had like two toes on my left leg and one like baby told my right leg and they just went in and just just like cut them off.

They serve no purpose.

Yeah, they serve no purpose. I mean because that was going.

And whether were their feelings on them.

I could move them I can, like, and they they cut my toes off. If you left them on, I mean I could, but I was getting like blisters and like callouses and all my toes and so because I was like pounding on them inside my socket so much on my stump on that they just cut him off. And so because they cut them off, technically I fell into the emputee category. And it's a lot easier to say emputee than congenital birth defect fiblair million.

Yeah, yeah, that's tough. I'm never gonna say that. What's more frustrating being born without legs or being a black man in America?

Ooh, that's a good one, because they actually are close to being equal. I'm not gonna lie. I get judged double time hard because I get discriminated as a as a black man on a daily basis, especially growing up in East Tennessee. But then I also faced discrimination as a man missing both of his legs and the assumption of what I can and cannot do.

So like, emotionally, you're like in a great place. You've figured life out.

Yeah, I mean I would say I figured it out just because all the trials and tribulations that I've been through in my life that life sucks, life isn't fair. So either going to cry about it or you're going to laugh about it?

Are you one of these people? I assume you are too positive? But no, where You're like, I wouldn't have it. If I could do it all over, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am. I am, I am because this is who I am.

Who cares? I would change everything about yourself? Yes, would you change? I mean every decision? Well, that was the wrong one. I should have done that.

But the wrong decisions is the lessons that you learned.

I don't know, right, I mean, yeah, yes, and theory, but I'm still saying I would be one of these people that would want to redo and correct almost everything.

Yeah, I mean, but could you imagine me with legs? I would just be just a boring black dude.

Maybe, or maybe you'd be the greatest, you know, most famous athlete in the history of the world.

True. Or I could be a tap dancer. That's one thing I think if I I don't want to be a tap dancer.

Right, No, No, I thought the genre of dance that you want to be great at tap is just fucking annoying, it's loud, it's this ruining.

Floors just in there. If I have both my legs, I'll just be dancing my ass all over.

Did you have a normal dating life?

Yeah? I did, Actually I did. You know. I struggled as a kid right growing up, you know, being judged because of my legs, and sometimes I even dated girls and didn't tell them about my legs.

You could, you could pull it off.

I could pull it off until you as you know, we went home and went to bed, and I could not pull it off. I just like was like, pop pop, Oh, by the way, I'm missing both of my legs.

I was with a girl one time and she's like, I got to tell you something, and I was like, I was like, I was in my head. I was like, let's prepare for everything, because I don't. I don't. I don't want to act like I'm not okay with it. So I was just preparing what is she going to tell me? And then she told me that she she had what's my call it, colsted me bag.

Oh.

I was like, ah, that's not bad, so your buttole's clean was the good part. But I did have I did. I had to prepare myself.

Did you think she was going to miss a leg or you know I did. I didn't.

I had no idea, but I just remember that was like a week.

I know it was what I felt like, this is weird because she has to have this conversation with everybody that she's potentially gonna Right, I wear a colostomy bag, right, so you obviously, if you're hiding your legs, that's a real conversation.

But if you're not hiding, it's it's pretty much not right.

It's out there. And so most times, I like especially now, I wear shorts that I'm out and about and people obviously I get the stairs, I get the looks, but I've kind of now embraced it.

Were there girls that were into it?

Actually? Yes?

Does that make you go like all right, I don't like that either?

Yeah, No, I mean I'm kind of into that. Actually, there's there's a name for that. Yes, They're called devotees. So devotas are individuals that are into people with missing like their legs, so like if you take your leg off. They like the whole nub play in the nub action. Be Honestly, I've never liked the term nub, I know, but that's the that's the that's the scientific name for it. I have like so because I'm missing both of my legs, I take my legs off in my stumps. Then I have are my nubs.

When you're home alone, you don't have do you no legs or legs?

It depends. It's just I guess sometimes I keep my legs on. If I had a long day, I can just chill. I take my legs off. I can function completely with my legs off, Like I can climb on counters and go use the bathroom. I can climb on the bed, but I get the point A to point B quicker with my legs on.

So you're saying, within a year of you getting your running blade, you became what was like where did you compete first?

So I competed in Oklahoma's like back in two thousand and nine. It was like a local Paralympic event, and I ran one hundred meters. I qualified for my team. And then by my second race, they called me and they invited me to Rio Dejiannaro, Brazil, And my second race in track and field was in Brazil, competing internationally for the USA.

Brazilians scary group of people.

So you asked, I had fun in Brazil. Rio was amazing and you can imagine like like bling my eyes, run two races and I'm on Copa Kabana beach, just like like as a nineteen year old, and I was like, you know.

What, so much thick ass?

Yeah, I think I like this sport. This is good. This is gonna be good.

The categories in the pair of games, yes, are, there's a lot.

There's a lot of categories. It gets very very confusing.

I mean you have because you can't compete against somebody that's just slightly missing something, right.

Well, if they're missing a leg, then I compete. I can't potentially compete against them. They're missing both their legs, then I definitely would probably compete below the knees. And then if they're missing their leg above the knee, that's a different category. You have blind, blind athletes in that category, you have cerebral palsy athletes, and then you also have wheelchair athletes too as well, and different categories within those disabilities.

You take a knee during the national anthem, is it controversial or is it like, hey, give the guy a break. He doesn't have any legs.

I mean, most of the time I do get a brain because of my disability, But I feel like if I took that knee, it would cause a little controversy. Legs or no legs.

The thing that was very interesting, obviously, is that you are skilled enough to compete in the Olympics. Yes, yeah, I'm just calling the Olympics. Your time is fast enough obviously, yes, And you wanted to yes, And then what happened.

Yes, that was my goal is to compete to be the fastest man in the world. Once I competed in Paralympics and did that, took a silver and a bronze in the twenty twelve, that's when I kind of knew could I could be the fastest running the world legs or no legs? So I started training because you know, setting everything up.

But they did. They say that you you cannot do this.

No, not initially at first. So at first they say it's okay. I went out there, broke a few world records, I went to national championships, qualified it for nationals. And then in twenty nineteen is when I took fifth at the usa TF National Championships against the able bodied runners. And when I did that and broke my own world record ran forty four seconds in the four and a meters, that's when the sanctions started to come and they said, you have an unfair advantage in your prosthetic legs. Do

You're preaching to the choir on this one. Yeah. Now, the height was the biggest.

Was the issue. That was the biggest issue. And so you have to understand.

People tall, are you from stump to head.

On my knees, I'm like four foot four foot and a half on my knees and so my and my stumps are like a foot each. So I would say, oh, coffee.

So they said that the height advantage was the issue.

Yes, because I missed my legs. They was trying to dictate my height and tell me how tall I would have been if I had my legs.

That seems like there can be a computer program out there that could figure that.

Out, I know, right, And so they try to create a formula, but you know, we feel like the formula is off.

Like what was the problem with the formula?

I know the problem with the formula Asians.

And white people.

Yes, it was the only Asian and white men in the formula.

Right, the formula only used Asian and white men. Yes, to determine your height, yes, yes.

And me as a black man, I felt like I got missed out on the poppet the test population, Like it wasn't considering my body democratic what my body structure could potentially be.

Right, So but no one, no one goes, oh, hey, I want to know how tall I'm going to be?

Well, how tall are Asian?

Yeah? Yeah, that was that was the issue. So when you implement me, you know into this formula that this only has a representation of it was like fifty white Australian men and fifteen Japanese Asian men and I come out not six two, but I come out a little bit under five nine, So five point eight feet I know I lost six inches.

No one, you don't want to ever be under six feet.

Oh my god, it's horrible. I have Little Man syndrome, like like, I'm just pissed off at the world every time I put them on.

So it's done, it's over.

Yeah, technically it is done. I'm back running at five point eight five eight point eight feet competing in the Paralympics. I'm still kind of confessed.

So you're doing it in the Paralympics because well.

Yeah, I'm doing the Palympics two as well. So I'm back running in the Paralympics.

No, no, but at five eight why wouldn't you Because they didn't have a problem with you running at six two.

The Paralympics had a problem me running Ye. Yeah, yeah. It was a new rule in Paralympics two. It was both a combined rule that just started within the last two to three years.

It seems like some crazy big wig Llowier a law firm here in Los Angeles, but hear this story and be like, you know what, I feel like taking his side and let's figure a way around this.

Yeah. Well, I mean I've took it to the quarter sport. It's the highest quarter sport in Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland, huh twice and out of two times we both lost the case. And at this point, I mean Tennancy could continue to keep fighting it. But at this point in my career, I'm thirty three, I got like four or five years left. I'm still doing things, you know on the outside, you know, still talking about it. I have a documentary coming out about it. But for the most part, I want to

Right, But I wanted you in the Olympics.

I know me too. I'm watching, like so the World Championships is happening right now with the able body and I'm seeing guys that I used to run with and like beat and compete with, and they're like fighting.

It'd be great just to hear all the people like shit talking.

Right, controversy, like I mean, I mean, it'd be a great conversation for track and field, of course, Like it'd be a great topic to go back and forth. Is it fair? Is it not fair? Can this guy without legs become the fastest man in the world and it's like it challenges society of being a disabled man and being the best in the world.

Yes, I agree. I mean track and field is interesting without this for two minutes every four years, Yeah, exactly, and everybody thinks like, oh, the legs are getting better, so you're getting faund it. But that doesn't matter. In general, athletes over time have always evolved faster.

Yeah, we're just learning anymore. We're just knowing more about Like the technology hasn't changed. We're just starting to understand the carbon fiber a lot better and understanding how to use it and getting it in hand of the user at an early age to perform and better users.

So about the weight, is it supposed to be comparable to weight or no.

Yeah, it's a little bit lighter with the carbon fiber. Lighter, stronger, faster, springier is always better when it comes to sprinting, and so then it is an advantage I mean, I mean, so it's interesting because things on the able body side, for like running materials, the spike plates, the surfaces that

Right, right, Well, that's tough to say that it's completely even I don't how would I know.

Right, right, right, right, and so, but at the end of the day, it's just like it all has the lens that you look at it like some people are going to look at it and say, you know, dude, you clearly have an unfair advantage you wear in prosthetic wearing technology against able body runners. And some people be like, there's no way you have an unfair advantage. You're missing both of your legs.

What's your stance on a transgender people performing in sports?

That's a tough topic.

It shouldn't be. It shouldn't be tough. It should be you should be you should say. Here's what I'm gonna tell you what you should say. You should say, I'm fine with it. Yes, I have no issues.

I I am fine with that. I have no issues. I know it's a huge controversy.

Well here's my thing with here's my take on this that I'm gonna bring it back to you, because it's like when people say, oh, they have an unfair advantage, or what if a man then just pretends or says I'm trans and just to compete and make all this money in this sport that's dominated by women, you know, And I say that, good, Let that person do that.

Fine.

That person wants to be a woman to compete and make some money, great, I don't care. First of all, it's a game. I don't care entertainment bringing it to you or do you have the same fear in the para Olympics. What if somebody's like, oh, I'm just gonna cut my leg off just so I can compete against people.

Yeah, it would never happen in Paralympic games. I don't think somebody would would deliberately.

Think they wouldn't. But what if somebody's like, no, like like let's say Bolt, it's like, you know, the under my career, I'm going to see if I can do it. Yeah, I'm gonna cut myself off from the knees down and I'm gonna compete. And that's not fair. He did it on purpose?

Yeah, well, it Bolt cut his legs off, it would try to compete. I would. I would dust Usain Bolt with his legs cut off, with his legs cut off.

Sure, well, I mean that's that's a big claim. That's a big claim.

But I just you know, as somebody that does get discriminated against, you know, I really true. I do believe in equality and just like a fair chance. So so like I'm in a face of discrimination on a daily basis as a black disabled man, So I like seeing that it is a very unfortunate.

How much longer do you have at that kind of the top of the game. That's a good thirty.

Three thirty three, Danuline, And you know the Olympics and Paralympics will be in La I know, eight twenty twenty eight, so I'm gonna be thirty eight in twenty twenty eight, so god, I can pull it off.

I mean, that's a that'd be exciting to run in your own.

Back, right, I mean, look at Tom Brady made it to like Tom Brady wouldn't do shit.

Tom Brady might as well not have legs. He stands back there and he dinks and dunk down the field like, oh.

Tom can make it. Lebron's still out there ying.

Look, fine, Lebron's an example that I accept.

Okay, look at Lebron.

But when people talk about Tom Brady is the greatest athlete. I just I'm like, what are you talking about? There's nothing athletic about what he does.

He dropped back three steps. It has one of the right.

He throws that he can throw a ball good and he and it can move a little bit, but barely. That's not that's not the greatest athlete. That's absurd.

True. True, you've seen his forty before. Yeah, it was.

Like sad dad body bouncing down the road. By the way, when when you race, whatever crosses the finish line first.

No, when you race, it's your torso that crosses, so your head, not your hand, but it has. That's why you see runners lean.

I always saw lean. I just like whatever.

Whatever nos, No, is from your from your shoulders to your to your to your basically your torso, your shoulders to your hip so you can dive across the line. If that crosses your good to go.

Has your leg ever flew off during a race?

It has? Yes, twenty sixteen national championships. I'm running one hundred meters, sprinting all out. I go to step at meter ninety five, I look down, leg is gone, and when I fell down, just like tucked and rolled over the line.

Well, what place did you come in.

It's a second, So it worked. It worked out, but it does happen every so often.

I don't want to make you speak for an entire race of people and the sex of people that you're not, but I'm going to ask you this question regardless, because I've always thought about this.

Running.

Yeah, in the Olympics, obviously, I'm talking to sprints, Yeah, dominated by black athletes. Fine, okay, well now I'm talking about females. If you watch swimming, winning and losing is within a point second or whatever, the tiny fraction of a second, swimmers shave every bit of their body everything because it gives them a slight bit of advantage. Female black racers will have so much hair, jewelry and everything and all of that.

Why wouldn't Why wouldn't there be ones like, no, no, I'm shaving everything that I'm doing, no rings, I'm doing, no doing, because all of that is a weight. Technically, yes, yes, but no one ever says no, I'm not gonna have you know, running though, you'll have facial hair you shouldn't.

Yeah, yeah, the facial hair, the beards, the you know, the chains, like anything that goes into it because it is scientifically proven that if you look good, you run faster.

I don't Yeah, that's what this insanity. I'm just saying. I just can't believe there's not one athlete. It's like, no, I'm gonna streamline to nothing.

I mean, I think with the force and the power to technically that you're that you're producing on the track. It doesn't Yes, it doesn't matter.

That's wait, if you're if you have all this hair and you didn't have it you are now lighter, Lighter makes faster.

Yeah, I mean technically, I guess, yes, lighter is is faster in theory.

If I tell you to drag a garden hose, you're gonna.

Be slow, true, true, But if you're going to win it anyway, you want to cross the line, look good with your hair.

Yes, you know, I just I just am I I'm amazed that I feel like there could be some time shaved off. Nobody cares about this, just my thing that I sit at home and go I could make them faster. I'm gonna be the old man going to put your jewelry away, put your hang away faster. Talk about the booger sugar ah.

Man, Yes, that was that was a crazy time in my life, right.

Okay, so you were just a partier?

Yeah, man, I was. I was partying. I was hanging around the wrong people. You know.

Sounds like you're hanging on the right.

According to the Living Committee, and you got you got suspended for a year for doing yes positive for cocaine.

Yes, I was in you know, coming from Tennessee moving to California.

I don't blame California for.

Your crazy California cocaine to Tennessee. Are you kidding me? These have a moonshine and that's it. But you know, moving out to California, just training, you know, it was a part of my life where I just couldn't say no, I was. I was, you know, partying, you know, hanging out with the wrong people, you know, just people in general. I go to a track meet and I test positive for cocaine crap like, and then I get suspended for a year, which.

Was just like because they thought it was a steroid.

Yeah, well well I was running so fast that it's a it's technically not not a performance and hands and drug. But it cannot be in your system at a tract meat. So I'm like, edit, tract meat, you know.

You obviously knew this, so you were trying to get away with it. You know.

I wasn't trying to get away with it. I just thought it would be out of my system, like before I got to the track meet. But I was like, at the track.

Did it last night?

No? I was like, Oh, the problem was I was like at the track meet, like looking like Bobby Brown, just like my jaw was to the left and I'm jogging. But and they was like, we got to test this guy. Do they not test everyone? And I don't test everyone, so it's like just.

The black people with the chains, right D. So that was bad. So when you got tested, you were like you didn't think you were going to fail.

No, I didn't think I was going to I think I was going to be out of my system. I'd be good. They actually caught the medical bollicle breakdown of cocaine, so they actually didn't find cocaine. They find like what cocaine breaks down into your system. And then with finding that, they say you've taken it.

Before and you denied that.

Man, I mean like, the ain't no way that. I was like, yes, it was me that had to go into a like an Olympic Paralympic like drug program and I had to take like three drug tests for a full year clean up.

Was it easy to clean up?

It was because I really wanted to really do this. I knew I had a special opportunity. Obviously, I was like having fund in that part of my life. Kind of goes back to the conversation we had earlier, Like I said, I don't regret, you know, a few things in my life I kind of regret. I regret that I just skip that race, I just gift that race.

See that's good. Good. I like the idea. I've always been just kind of like I don't want to focus too hard because I don't want to find out that I'm not great.

Right, right, that's the fear too right, Like I'm not good enough for it. I'm not the man that I tell people that.

Well, so it's nice to be like Oh, if I tried harder, I could be right.

Right, and that's what I was doing. Like, well, I didn't try that harder. Well, I stayed up late party and hanging out hang and then once I did that and gave it everything, I mean, like dedicate my life to this.

Like are you faster right the second than you've ever been?

No, I'm not because I'm shorter. Because yeah, I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my life right now, and like so to years ago, I was the fifth fastest for heady meter run in the world.

I mean I assume everyone was doing the hight thing. Yeah as well, So it's interesting even playing field.

Yeah, it was an even playing field. Paralympians across the board lost their height, but because I was a black man implemented into this formula that did not represent me, I became the shortest out of everybody. For example, the average emputee doubleg emput lost two to three inches. I lost six inches.

I know, I know, but that seems this versus this seems yes, I mean it seems fair.

You gotta get it back somehow, right.

I think we all know what I was referring to. He's give him six inches. All right, fair enough. Hey, by the way, that that's a bathroom behind that door. I was gonna go, but I'm worried that if I'm in there, that you would potentially shoot through the door. I don't want to. I don't want to lump you guys all together. But talk about Oscar. Yeah you've raced against him.

I again, Yes, he is a white guy. It's interesting because he's a white South African and I'm a black American. But once the whole controversy went down and I'm walking through the airport with my running blades and people just heard this, you know, African blade runner. Ah, so a lot of people like initially thought I was the you know, I was the guy you know.

So you shot Oscars white?

Yeah, they thought they they thought that legit, Like wait, I heard an African guy missing both of his legs and I was like, no, no, no, he's he's a white South African. So it's like, you don't have to worry. But yeah, I competed. I was actually the last person to compete alongside of Pastorius in twenty twelve at the Paralymic Games.

They weren't the last.

One, yeah, yeah, yeah, someone else was.

Trying to run.

Sorry, that's not that's insensitive. Was he was he faster than you? Yes he was at the time. So at the time we competed, he was faster than me. But I ended up breaking all of his world records. So I went forty He went forty five three five, it's his fastest fourmeter. I went forty four thirty eight, so I ran about almost a whole second.

He's still in jail. I had to look it up. Yes he is, but for some reason he still didn't get what he was supposed to get.

Yeah, he got. I think it ended up with thirteen I think thirteen years for culpable homicide. Do you think he'll run in la I don't think so. I think he might. I mean banned. No, he's not banned. I mean, to my understanding, he's not banned from the year.

What do you have to do to get banned cocaine?

You just a little bit of bookisher, You're out. You're right out of here.

You fire four blind land your bathroom. You're fine. Do you have a lot of friends now because of the in the pair of community, like from the Olympics and stuff, I do Do you need that or do you go enough already?

Like, I mean, I like it. It's just like we're a community. Like so like we all get together and we like go to dinner or whatever, and can you imagine like four dudes, like we're all missing our legs, right, So like we hop out the car and just like there's four dudes missing both of their legs.

The servers like, oh, this is gonna be a shitty tip.

These guys, that's just gonna be terrible. They expect half off or something. I don't know what's going on. So I was going for but it works out, and it's just like it's it's cool to like to build that community. And that's what's honestly, that's exciting too about the LA twenty twenty eight. It's gonna be the first time the Paralympic Game is going to be in LA. The Games have been in LA twice, but the first time for the Paralympics to be in LA.

How great is your parking situation at the Olympic Village?

Oh it's I mean I park right in the front is handicapped parking, which, by the way, you don't have to pay for handicap parking in LA. So I have a handicapped sticker.

Wait, wait, in LA, you don't if if you have the street a handicaps, you don't have to pay meters.

You pay meters, you don't pay meters, which is like gold. That's best.

That becomes every spot becomes a handicaps. Right. How come we say handicapped spot but we don't say handicapped people?

No, that's so interesting, right, It's like you say the word handicap, right, because it's like, technically it's very inappropriate to call somebody handicap. We're kind of working on the whole the word disabled, right, We're trying to change the word disabled because you're done. You're not doing nothing to the word disability where you're living with this and you're moving with this, and it's just like the word you

No non acceptable. I knew that. Seventy five and Sonny out, you go with shorts or you go with.

Pants seventy five and sunny shorts.

I mean I feel like shorts are always technically pants for you.

Yeah, I know, right, my legs if my legs do not get cold. So it can be like thirty or it can be negative twenty. I could be in Minnesota and I can wear shorts in it and it wouldn't matter.

How long have you been married?

I'm engaged. Oh yeah, I'm not married yet.

Okay, are you're definitely going to do it?

Yes?

Are you going to drag your feet? It never gets old. It gets Where'd you meet your uh, your partner.

Back home in Tennessee. We grew up together.

It's a mistake. That's a mistake.

She was the girl next door.

I don't do that. No way. You meet the girl in l A.

Oh gosh, the girls in LA. They're nice. They just I'm a country boy from Tennessee. It was it was too much. We're no longer a country's boy. Those days are gone. They're gone.

Oh you have a sponsorship?

I do. I do have a sponsor, Yes, I did. The crazy thing is I do have a shoe sponsor. I'm sponsored by Nike's great. Yeah you should be sponsored y shoes? Yeah, because what better endorsement to be. Like, Listen, if I had feet, I would want to wear Nike. These are the ones I would wear, right, And so I get the question, what's your most comfortable Nike shoe that's out there in the market that you like to wear. And I'm like, I don't know, I don't feel nothing.

Okay, Yeah, whoever pays me that feels the best. By the way, you were on a game show on Netflix two hundred grand on Away, Yes, which I didn't even know was a show at first.

Me and neither or they just torture you, oh my god, which we didn't know what the show was until like we got there. They locked us in a room and took our cell phones and then they told us what the show was, and then we had to make affery.

How did you sign up to that?

Just random stuff in the off season when I'm not training, I like to just like be anywhere and everywhere, And I signed up for the show. I booked it, and I freaking won it. It was It was pretty cool.

It was that's great. Yeah, yeah, you actually got the money and I actually.

Got the money. It was like two hundred grand, So it's like.

Is that more than you make running?

Yes, I mean at the time, it definitely, it definitely was. It lasted me like a year's worth of La rent, So it was it was pretty cool.

You make money as a runner, yeah, you can, you can, you can.

I mean you have sponsorships, you have metal money, you have prize money, metal money. So metal money is like the metal the money that you win when you win a medal from the federations.

Oh, I thought you had to pawn off the metal.

I know. I mean the gold that comes into the metal, you take it to the pawn shop and whenever they get you like ponzars, it's just.

Like all right, so you get a chunk from that as well.

Yeah, and of course me too, like you know, I do other stuff. I try to, you know, be versatile, just not be a runner. So I do motivational speaking. I do a little commercial acting too as well. I'm trying to get more into acting too as well, just like trying to be that representation just with the for the disabled community.

Would you be like one of these people that if say, there was a famous person that was being portrayed in the movie that didn't have legs, would you be like, well, then you can't put an actor in that has legs. That's not fair.

I mean it's so interesting because there's so few of us, and I guess in the business or in the industry, it's like missing both their legs or with the disability. So I mean there are more calls for actors with disability. So I'm trying to like step up so when they do need an actor missing both their legs, I can be I have the reels and enough you know, talent to step up into that role.

Could you be in the NFL? Why can't you be in the NFL?

No, I think I can. But if I get tackled and my leg comes off, like that might not look flag football?

You keep going.

Yeah, it's just like with that count, can I just like keep running? My leg is like.

Shit, what's the what's the smell situation? Underneath the sock at.

The end of the man it gets it gets bad. That That's how I knew that my fiance was the one when she like took them off and washed them for me. And just like because it gets atrocious.

Like like it's faces like a watch band. Yeah, like that type of smell.

Imagine because there's no air that's getting in, so it's like all the sweat and I'm like, I would say I'm one of the most active amputees in the world. Do you swim I cannot swim, I know, I mean I won't drown. I'm not a swimmer.

I mean swimming for exercise is the only thing on the planet worse than running for exercise.

Yeah, like sledding in the pool. That sounds that sounds terrible.

You ever had a day job I did? Yeah?

Yeah, my day job was selling shoes a chance or at a shoe store. I sold shoes at a shoe store.

You ever wear dress shoes?

I do wear dress shoes every song, but they have the heels on them, and it's just like they thick at the heels on a dress shoes just like throw me completely off. So I just wear sneakers most of the time.

Is there any advantages to uh, you know, not having the bombyl I would assume a disadvantage. Bathtub, I assume you already slide down.

Yes, So what I do is I found a little quick like you know and hack right, So you put it like either a towel or like a washcloth or something just like you know, tears something down and it gets wet on but yeah, on your butt and then you sit on your butt, so you don't you don't slide right.

And then and the next time that your fiance is in the shower washing their face, Like, wait a second, is this your ass slipper?

Just like it's like a butt print, just like, but you probably do have quite a few hacks.

Yeah, yeah, if you. I mean, the handicap parking is just like a huge hack for me, just like I pull up. I mean Trader Joe's.

You like Trader Joe's. I do their produces ship. I mean, but it's produce all the snacks. You're right, because you're a big druggy.

I got the munchies. I'm just do you eat healthy? I do eat healthy? I do. I'm always in a well in season. I try to stay in a Calgary season. So season is just like where I'm about to get ready to like ramp up to compete.

Right, but what is the actually like.

Say, from December all the way up to August September, so right now, I mean I'm technically an off season.

Do you gain weight?

I do? I do gain weight. I gain like five to ten pounds. I've been eating. You can't tell I've been eating good?

You look I mean look like an apple.

Yeah yeah, I mean, I'm like I'm like five pounds heavy right now, like five ten pounds heavy and then I shred up as we get closer to the do like my biggest race of the year. So I was in Paris a month ago for like three weeks for my World Championships.

You like Paris, I love Paris.

Paris. Paris was cool. Everybody was just like sitting around eating like you so late. Yeah, they eat eat for three hours, like each meal is like and a half hours, which is crazy. And everybody smoking cigarettes just like smoking and eating and happy.

Yeah, it just had in New York City if it was only four stories high. Yeah, You've seen the world. That's pretty exciting.

I have. I have. I've seen the world. You know. I've been to like and this all came from running. So I've been to like, you know, Brazil, you know, New Zealand, Czech Republic, you know, all through Europe. You know, I even went to Latviia.

You ever been to China?

No, I still haven't been in China yet. No, I haven't been in China.

To go and talked Japan to the people that have measured your heights.

Yeah, I got something for you. Yell at them.

You guys got it wrong. Do you ever run a marathon?

Hell? No, are you kidding me? Like that is twenty six point two miles? Are you kidding? No? Absolutely, I would never.

I held a marathon once, all on treadmills.

Oh really?

How did that gos funny? I had like like like fifty treadmills out on the pier in Hermosa Beach?

Was it professional runners?

I put a few ringers in, like a couple of guys like you know, Kenyons that like just kill it. Yeah, two hours, twelve minutes or something.

They're sprinting the whole time, which is just ridiculous.

Yeah, I mean, how is that just some people just can run? I just I get my chest wants to explode.

Yeah, it's just like genetically speaking, just like some people just like have that sprinter runner you know just look or just you know, build about them. So that's why I look at you and just know that I would destroy you.

I mean, now I'm over the hill. Now I'm hold as shit. So it doesn't it's you know, it's easy. But all right, well listen, Blake, we appreciate you. We're gonna we'll be cheering for you, and then h I don't know, just I'm just I just want to see you, I guess in twenty twenty eight. Yes, here in our own backyard.

It's gonna be awesome. Daniel, Man, I really appreciate just like taking the time to hear my story. I had so much fun. This is awesome, Thanks, buddy, Yeah, I appreciate it.

All right, Pasha, how was that one, Carl? I'll tell you what bothered me. How quickly Blake profiled me. The thing that he says people do to him constantly, he immediately does it to me, judges me by my glasses and a sweater, assuming that I'm not an athlete. People always underestimate how quick I am. I'm gonna have to teach him a lesson. He said he could raise me anywhere, anytime and smoke me. Oh okay, all right, well let's

I mean you do have me on that.

You do have me on the beach. I mean, this is where it's at. Besides, what's better than the feeling of sand between your toes?

Yeah, that's my It's actually my favorite. All right, let me do my drills.

You do your drill. God, I'm gonna do my drills.

Are We're going all the day down there?

You see the end fifty yard dash.

I talked a lot of shit. I talked a little bit too much shit.

I'm wearing all white, just so you know what you're racing against.

Should we do this day?

Listen, I'm ready whenever they are.

I can't move. I did not move in this sad I did that with a necklace. What good raise a dude doesn't?

Doesn't don't beat yourself up. No, don't, don't do it. Don't look at as a loss. Look at it as a milestone or at the end of your career. I don't know, was there ever any doubt. I'd like to dedicate my victory to able bodied people everywhere. I hope I've inspired you. Representation matters. I've got some stand up dates coming up in San Diego and Rena boys wear Pink dot com And don't feel bad for Blake. As a consolation prize, I gave him a gift. Every guest

No, my legs off and just like I don't want it. No. Okay, thanks Mabe. I appreciate it. I'm gonna write this all the time.

Not in the sand.