OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A passion for running has always served as a source of motivation for an Ocala sprinter.
But Marshall Zackery has had to defy a lot of odds in his athletic journey.
He suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was 2 years old which resulted in him being diagnosed with cerebral palsy along with a visual impairment.
The now 30-year-old competed at the U.S. Paralympic Trials over the weekend in Miramar, Florida, with the hope of making Team USA to compete in the 2024 Paris Games later this summer.
We spoke to him during a practice at the track at Trinity Catholic High School just days before the competition.
“I wouldn’t call this a pressure situation because my coach has prepared me,” said Zackery. “I’m actually excited about it. Once I get settled down in the blocks, I’ll be good to go.”
And good to go he was.
Zackery placed first in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, his finishing times were 12.78 and 26.29 respectively.
How he got to this point wasn’t nearly as fast.
Early days
Zackery ran track at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine. However, his dream of competing in the Paralympics has been years in the making.
“I didn’t have an avenue to get there,” said Zackery.
Six years later, fate would find the self-described gym rat in the right place at the right time.
“I actually met Regas Woods and my coach Tony McCall at Too Your Health Spa,” said Zackery. “I was attending college. It was a Friday, and I didn’t have to go to class. They introduced me to Paralympic sports.”
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The propitious meeting would set him on the path to his destiny – competing on the international stage and setting national records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash in the T35 classification.
In Paralympic sports, classifications ensure athletes compete against others whose impairments cause approximately the same amount of activity limitations. T35 is a category for those with coordination impairments.
He has qualified for three world championship teams and competed in the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. And based on his performance this past weekend, it looks like he’ll be breaking out his passport once again and heading to France.
Perhaps proving that success is a journey not a destination.
“I just wanted to be in the gym that day, and that day changed my life,” said Zackery.