Jim Thompson

Everyone has limitations, but it doesn’t give you an excuse not to achieve things.

A single word cannot encapsulate what or who someone is, but if a word had to be picked for Jim Thompson, it would be inspiring. Jimmy takes any challenge or obstacle thrown at him and crushes it like a dried leaf in the palm of his hand. He is a world champion swimmer, a beloved math teacher, a great husband, and an amazing father of three. Does this sound incredible? Unbelievable? Is this story something that could be a major motion picture? Absolutely, but it gets even more astounding.

What you may not know, is that Jim Thompson is a C-6 incomplete quadriplegic. He has significant loss of movement and sensation in all four of his limbs, but has more use of his arms than his legs. Jimmy has done more in his forty-eight years of living, twenty-eight of those living with a disability, than some will in fifty lifetimes. He has garnered praise as a math teacher from colleagues and students alike at Rosa International Middle School in Cherry Hill. The school and its governing body have supported him whole-heartedly in his pursuit of gold at the Paralympics, and they make it evident with pep-rallies and medals of encouragement. Jimmy has won seven gold medals. Most athletes do not even get a shot at attending, let alone place first over an Olympic career spanning from 1988-1996.

He was fortunate enough to have a great support system from the time of his injury up until the present. His wife, Colleen, has been with him since day one. They were dating in college when his injury, the result of diving off of a garage into an above ground pool, took place. She has been vital to his recovery, and his biggest fan, whether it be for quad rugby, wheelchair tennis, or swimming for gold for the red, white, and blue.

Thompson was quoted saying something very poignant: “Everyone has limitations, but it doesn’t give you an excuse not to achieve things.” Life throws you curveballs, and when Jim Thompson saw his coming down the center of the plate, he knocked it right out of the park. Whether you have an injury or not, hardships or none, Jimmy should be looked at as a success story on steroids, an inspiration to the nation. Husband, father of three, teacher, athlete, disabilities effigy. Jim Thompson is one of the hardest working people in the Western Hemisphere, but it has paid off a thousand times over. Achievements do not simply fall into one’s lap; they are earned. His legacy can attest to that.

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