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.
Life-threatening medical complications notwithstanding, Blake enrolled at The Ohio State University the following fall and earned his B.S. in finance in 2013. Blake 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 made four consecutive U.S. Rowing Teams including the 2016 Paralympic Team competing in Rio de Janeiro, where he placed 4th. 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.
Blake earned his law degree from Ohio State in 2016 and currently works as an Investment Research Associate for Diamond Hill Capital Management in Columbus, Ohio. He continues to row and is training for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Blake’s Accomplishments
International Race Results:
- 2014 Crash-B World Championships: Placed 1st (Set new American Record).
- The 2014 World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands: Placed 4th.
- The 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette, France: Placed 5th.
- The 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Placed 4th.
- The 2017 World Championships in Sarasota, Florida: Placed 6th.
- The 2018 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria: Placed 4th.
- The 2021 ICF Paracanoe World Cup in Szeged, Hungary: Placed 4th, qualified for 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
- The 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan: Placed 2nd, Winner of the Silver Medal (Sprint Canoe).
Awards and Honors:
- 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Silver Medalist
- 2016 United States Rowing Male Athlete of the Year (first ever para-athlete to win the award)
- 2016 Golden Oars Award Honoree
News Stories and Speeches
- TEAM USA’S TWO-SPORT STAR BLAKE HAXTON WINS SILVER MEDAL IN SPRINT CANOE DEBUT
- Team USA Instagram – Blake Haxton is competing in TWO Paralympic sports
- Blake Haxton is Team USA’s Two Sport Star For the Tokyo Paralympics
- Blake Haxton is the only athlete on the U.S. team who will compete in two sports – sprint canoe and rowing.
- Featured in Sports Illustrated
- Featured in Men’s Health
- Rowing Means More Than Boat Racing
- How to Compete-Upper Arlington City News
- Boatload of Support for the Paralympic Games
- Blake’s Long Row to Rio
- Balancing Law School with the Paralympic Trials
- An indelible spirit: A conversation with para-rower Blake Haxton
- Blake Haxton, No. 13 on Forbes’ 25 Paralympic Athletes to Watch
- Blake Addresses Christiana Care Health System
Academic Credentials
- The Ohio State University, B.S. Finance (2013).
- The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D. (2016).
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) (2019).
Blake Haxton 