MY STORY

From Life-Threatening Illness to the Paralympic Podium

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My Story

In March of 2009, Blake Haxton was in his senior year of High School in Columbus, Ohio when he contracted Necrotizing Fasciitis, more commonly called the flesh-eating disease. Over the course of three days, Blake went from being the captain of his school’s rowing team and a division one rowing recruit to suffering major organ failure and the amputation of both of his legs.

Blake was released from the hospital after over twenty major surgeries and three months of inpatient care.

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The Journey

Life-threatening medical complications notwithstanding, Blake enrolled at The Ohio State University the following fall and earned his B.S. in Finance in 2013. He then enrolled at the Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law and returned to the sport of rowing, making the U.S. National Team in the Arms and Shoulders single event.

Blake has since made nine consecutive U.S. Rowing Teams including the teams competing in the Paralympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, 2020 in Tokyo (winner of the silver medal in the VL2 Paracanoe event), and 2024 in Paris (winner of the bronze medal in the VL2 Paracanoe event).

Following the games in Rio, Blake’s fellow Olympic teammates and coaches voted him as the Male Athlete of the Year, making him the first ever para-athlete to win the honor.

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Today

Blake earned his law degree from Ohio State in 2016 and currently works as a Research Analyst for Brandywine Global Investment Management in Columbus, Ohio. He continues to train for international competition in the VL2 Paracanoe event.

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