April Holmes
Raised with a hard work ethic, which she has honed with a will of steel, April Holmes has redefined what it means to be disabled. April was involved in a train accident in 2001 that resulted in the loss of her left leg below the knee. While she lay in her hospital bed, a doctor told her about the Paralympic Games and three goals were firmly implanted in her mind: She desired to wear the USA uniform. She wanted to break world records. She was determined to win gold medals.
Since her career in Paralympic track & field began in 2002, Holmes has broken IPC World Records 14 times and American Records 18 times in the 100, 200, 400 meters and the long jump. She won her 1st Paralympic gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Games. April put on the USA uniform again at the 2012 Paralympics in London and after a photo finish was awarded bronze in the 100 meters.
Holmes runs the April Holmes Foundation, Inc. a non-profit organization assisting people with physical and learning disabilities with scholarships and medical equipment. April was recently named by the IPC’s “Top 10 Women in Paralympic Sport”, NCAA 2015 Inspirational Athlete of the Year, a US Paralympic & US Anti-Doping Ambassador, and has assisted First Lady Michelle Obama on the “Let’s Move” Campaign.
April is a well-sought speaker electrifying audiences with messages of motivation, diversity, leadership, and marketing. Some of her clients include Deloitte, Disney, The Jordan Brand, Hartford Insurance, and BMW. April also assists companies in Olympic-Theme sporting days to enhance the core values of teamwork, determination, discipline, and goal setting.
Holmes has been featured media outlets including NBC Today Show, CBS Early Morning, Fox, ESPN, BBC, Forbes, and Oprah’s “O” Magazine.
Ms. Holmes recently co-authored her 1st book entitled, “The Winning Way”, which quickly hit Amazon’s Best Sellers List. Her 2nd book, “Stop Limping Thru Life, Start Running” will be on bookshelves soon.
