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A golden run
By JAMAL THALJI © St. Petersburg Times, published November 3, 2000 Danny Andrews was absolutely golden. Competing in his first Paralympic Games, the 19-year-old Holiday resident shattered the world record in the 800-meter race, handily winning the gold medal with a blistering time of 2:08.79 last week in Sydney, Australia. "I had my times set up with all my coaches," Andrews said after the race, during a live interview broadcast on the Internet. "I ran exactly the race I planned on running." Running in the T-44 class for leg amputees, Andrews took control of the race early from lane four, leading the pack and holding off a late push from fellow American and former world-record holder Joe LeMar and Australian Neil Fuller. Fuller made a move on the lead in the last 100 meters, but Andrews broke away from him and then took off down the stretch, leaving his challengers behind as he aimed for the world record. It wasn't even close as Andrews dominated the field and earned the honor of carrying the American flag in front of more than 50,000 spectators at Olympic Stadium, and then received the medal as the national anthem played. "This is the biggest (venue) I've ever been in," he said. Thus ended Andrews' 2000 Paralympics experience. And he did it racing in front of an international audience: The race was broadcast live in Pasco County on the Internet at http://www.wemedia.com. More importantly for Andrews, his family was in the stadium to watch him compete. Mother Luann, father Bill and younger sibling Melanie attended the race, thanks to the generosity of local fundraisers who helped pay the family's way to Australia. "Oh, I'm just thrilled," said his grandmother, Luella Jones, who heard the news at her Brooksville home on Wednesday evening. "That boy has gone through so much. We're just so proud of him, just so proud." Andrews reached the Paralympics by winning the 800 meters at the June 2000 Paralympic Track and Field Trials in New London, Conn. There, with just a month of conditioning, training and preparation, an exhausted Andrews first stunned LeMar by winning the 800-meter race in a time of 2:18.41 to earn a trip to the Sydney games. Andrews fulfilled his goal at the Paralympics of breaking LeMar's world record of 2:13.57. This time Andrews was in the best condition of his life, he said, after months of training and preparation. LeMar, the bronze medalist, hugged a jubilant Andrews at the finish line. Andrews broke his left leg while playing soccer four years ago. He was hospitalized and developed compartment syndrome; the circulation in his leg became constricted. Surgeons had to amputate his leg below the knee to save his life. He went on to letter in soccer and track at Gulf High School, where he graduated with honors in the spring. Andrews, who will be a freshman at the University of Miami next year majoring in biomedical engineering, said his first Paralympic race would not be his last. "This is something I plan to keep on doing for as long as I can . . ." Andrews said Monday from Australia. "You'll definitely see me at the 2004 games in Athens, Greece."
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