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NORTON H. CROW AWARD
for Outstanding Male Athlete
Jeff Adams - Athletics
Nominated by Athletics Canada
Collecting gold medals is something Jeff Adams does well. Few of the many he has gone after have eluded his steely grasp.
Throughout the 2000 season, Adams' racing was solid, successful, and definitely on course; the result of increased speed work and the addition of motor pacing to his demanding training regimen. Clearly, age was not impairing the athletic prowess of the 30-year-old motivational speaker and marketing consultant, who also chairs Toronto 2008's accessibility committee. In April, he smashed his own Canadian record in 1500m and two months later won the event at the Olympic Exhibition World Trials. Things were looking good for the events of autumn--the Olympic Games and, barely three weeks later, the Paralympic Games.
One characteristic of a great athlete is the ability to set disappointment aside and move on to the next challenge. Adams, who won gold and silver medals at the 1996 Olympic Games, experienced unexpected defeat in the 1500m at the 2000 Games. With the Paralympic Games looming, there was no time to mull over the loss. Intensifying his preparation, he arrived at the competition in peak mental and physical condition. In a thrilling contest, he rebounded from the Olympic disappointment to best the same tough field, including world record holder Franz Nietlispach of Switzerland. Racing headlong into a blustery headwind, Adams, who entered the race "scared, nervous, and excited," pulled into the lead in the final 300m, dogged by the Swiss all the way to the tape.
The feisty Adams, who calls Toronto home, added gold in the 800m, silver in the 400m, and bronze in both the 5000m and the 4x100m relay to bring his lifetime Paralympic total to three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.
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