Fastest blind sprinter in US history focuses on future after 100 win

David Brown is not your average 31-year-old runner. He's not your average athlete, either. Brown is far from average at all as he competes in Para Athletics in the T11 classification. And he is attempting to qualify for his fourth straight Paralympic Games after finishing first in the men’s T11 100-meter dash at the U.S Paralympics Team Trials Saturday in Miramar, Florida.  

This summer, Brown, the reigning U.S. record-holder in the T11 100 meters, has set his focus on Paris, preparing for the 2024 Paralympic Games, which he says will be his last as a track and field athlete. Brown just might do it too, as he proved Saturday he still has more in the tank with the win over longtime competitor Lex Gillette.

After losing his sight at 13, Brown won an essay contest at the Missouri School for the Blind for which he earned a trip to the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. Witnessing firsthand the power and dedication of Paralympic athletes ignited a flame within him.

“When I went to Beijing, China, and saw the magnitude that this sport is, I was like, ‘You know what? This is amazing and I want to be part of this in one way or another.’”

That spark quickly grew. As Brown began to train, his talent blossomed under the guidance of his coach, Joaquim Cruz, an Olympic gold medalist himself.  Brown secured his spot on the Paralympic stage in 2012 as a teenager and followed with appearances in 2016 and 2020.

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However, Brown didn’t just qualify – he dominated. He was the first totally blind athlete to run under 11 seconds when he clocked 10.92 in the 100 in 2014 at the world championships, an American record that still stands. In 2016, at the Rio Paralympics, he became the world's fastest totally blind athlete when he clinched his gold in the 100.

For Brown, though, the records are something to carry forward. He points to mentorship from Gillette and Josiah Jamison, Paralympic stars in the T11 classification who mentored him on his way up. Brown wants to do the same for emerging blind athletes.

““Those are guys I looked up to coming into this sport,” he said. “Other individuals – not just here in the United States but across the world – have reached out to me and asked for tips and mentorship. To me, track is so selfish, but I strive not to be a selfish person so helping them throughout all their years has been really cool because I get to see the fruits of my labor this many years down the road.”

Brown will have to wait until Sunday morning for the naming ceremony to see if his 11.47 was good enough for the chance to race one more time in France. But regardless of whether he runs for Team USA this summer, the decorated Paralympian is not finished competing, as he plans to transition into para blind soccer next.

“Looking at how many years I’ve been in this and the impact I’ve had on the sport, it’s once again another opportunity [that] open to where I am able to participate in another sport that I can make an impact and is very fun and is a part of the Paralympic Games.,” Browns said. “So while I still have athleticism and movement within my body, I might as well go ahead and dip my foot into something else … literally.”