Smooth, swift, agile–watching Campbell University junior Andrew Lester run the 1,500-meter dash is like watching any outstanding athlete. He finishes in 4’20,” but Andrew isn’t your average runner. Born with a condition called Fibular Hemimelia, he was not only missing the fibula of his right leg, but all of his toes except the big toe on his right foot. The parents of a child with this kind of birth defect are generally given two choices, amputate or leave the leg in tact. Lester’s parents chose amputation when he was one, a decision for which he is eternally grateful.”It’s possible for kids born with this condition to keep their leg, but people who chose not to have the operation generally don’t live very active lifestyles,” Lester said. I’m very thankful to my parents for making the decision to amputate at an early age because I’ve known no difference between having a leg and not having a leg. Everything just comes naturally to me–walking, running and basic everyday life.”A former cross country runner at Campbell University, Lester is one of the top three amputee runners in the nation for the 400-meter dash, which earned him a spot at the ParaPanAm Games in Brazil this summer. He is currently focusing all of his attention on the 13th Paralympic Games which will be held in Beijing, China, in September 2008. He will take the fall 2008 semester off to participate in the games.The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical and sensorial disabilities. This includes mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and those with cerebral palsy. The games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee. The name derives from the Greek “para” meaning “alongside” or “beside” and refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games. Although Lester holds the record for the 1,500-meter race for below the knee amputees, the junior business administration major must qualify again for the 2008 Paralympic Games where he will run the 400-meter dash.”I’m really looking forward to the games,” Lester said. “We get to stay at the same venues as the Olympic athletes and run on the same track. It’s really first class.”Although tragic, losing his leg has led to many positive outcomes for Lester. “I wouldn’t change being an amputee for anything in the world,” he said. “It has allowed me meet a lot of people I wouldn’t have met, to go to a lot of places I wouldn’t have been able to go and to encourage kids and others who have also lost legs.”Lester regularly visits children at Duke and other hospitals and has spoken to soldiers coming back from Iraq. He also speaks to students at elementary schools, sharing his experiences as an amputee and educating them about disabilities.”It’s good to let amputees know that their lives aren’t over just because they’ve lost a limb,” he said. “I’m really no different than anybody else.” A native of Greensboro, N.C., Lester graduated from Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C. He ran varsity cross country and track from the 7th through the 12th grades, setting a school record for the 5K race in cross country and also establishing the high jump and 2- mile record for track and field in high school.He is the son of Terry and Lee Ann Lester and has a sister Julie, who recently graduated with an international business degree and a Master of Business Administration from Campbell.Photo Copy: Campbell University junior Andrew Lester
Amputee races ahead of the competition