On good days, American high jumper Jamie Nieto can shuffle 130 steps without a cane or walker.
It’s an important distance: about the length from the altar to the church door. His vow is to make it all the way, under his own power, at his wedding ceremony on July 22.
The two-time Olympian is recovering from a spinal cord injury he suffered on a misjudged backflip in April 2016. The accident initially left him with no feeling in his hands and feet. Walking? Doctors couldn’t predict if he would take more than a few steps or any at all.
“People keep saying my recovery is really fast,” said 40-year-old Mr. Nieto, who lives in Los Angeles. “I feel like it’s not fast enough. I want to be better tomorrow. I’m built for speed, not for going slow. But I’m working on being the best walker I can be.”
Mr. Nieto proposed to Jamaican hurdler Shevon Stoddart while in a wheelchair, six months after the backflip. It used to be his signature move after big events.
Misjudged backflip
On April 23, 2016, the manoeuvre went seriously wrong for the high jumper who once cleared seven feet, eight inches to finish fourth at the 2004 Olympics. He was coaching some jumpers when he showed them his backflip expertise. His first attempt was a little off, and he asked for another try.
This time, he pushed off with one foot on the artificial turf and it slipped, forcing him straight back instead of into a somersault. The full weight of his body crashed on his neck.
The high jumper, who finished sixth at the 2012 London Games, spent 12 days in intensive care, two months at an inpatient rehab facility and finally returned home a year ago.
At first, routine tasks were a struggle: rolling up to get out of bed, brushing his teeth, getting dressed. Just like his days on the track, Mr. Nieto is driven as he goes through grinding workouts five days a week. He documents his progress on social media, with one of his posts lifting weights and pushing a sled being viewed more than 4,000 times.
“Physically, I wasn’t the most talented athlete, but I worked really hard,” said Mr. Nieto, who once demonstrated his leaping ability by high jumping a car.
“I had the mental capacity to fight to the end. At that level, it’s what separates good athletes from great athletes. I’m still trying to push those boundaries and limits,” says the sportsman.
He met Ms. Stoddart around 2010.
She’s been there for him throughout his recovery, feeding him in the hospital when he couldn’t lift his arms, helping him get dressed when his fingers struggled with buttons and transferring him from his wheelchair to the bed when he struggled.
“As I get better and getter, she has to do less and less,” Mr. Nieto said. “She’s done so much for me.”
Proposal on wheels
In mid-October, they went to a jewellery store to pick up the ring they’d selected. He proposed to her on the spot and in his wheelchair. He promised he would be ready to walk down the aisle by the wedding date.
A few months ago, that didn’t seem likely without assistance.
He could only take six shaky steps on his own. Soon, it was 23 steps. Then 53, 80 and now 130 for their wedding at a church in San Diego.
Ms. Stoddart’s response? Go for 200.
“I keep pushing him forward,” said Ms. Stoddart. “After he (walks down the aisle), I’m going to be like, ‘OK, now jog. Now run.’ I continue to push him so he can be the best he can be.”
