Six-time Irish Paralympic champion Jason Smyth was recently inducted into the RTÉ Sport Hall of Fame. Paralympic sprinter Taylor Talbot of the United States has decided to switch sports, and two other Paralympians with ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints won gold medals at international competitions.
During his acceptance speech, Smyth recognized his coach and others who helped shape his running career.
“Sometimes you meet people along the way at the right time that have a huge influence,” he said, adding that he’s been able to look back and reflect and “really appreciate how incredible the journey I was able to be on.”
The Dec. 16, 2023, awards are given by the Irish public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, which is Irish for radio [and] television of Ireland. RTÉ gives annual awards to a sportsperson, a young sportsperson, team and a manager along with inducting an Irish sportsperson to the RTÉ Hall of Fame.
Smyth, a sprinter, competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter events in the T13 division (for visual impairments) and won six Paralympic medals in four different Games: Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
He has also won multiple gold medals at the World Championships, European Championships and the World Indoor Championships.
The 36-year-old was diagnosed with Stargardt disease when he was 8 years old and is legally blind. Smyth announced his retirement in March 2023, reported Paralympic.org.
“I think now is the right time for me to step away from competitive Paralympic sport. I lived and fulfilled the dream, and now I hope to support the next generation of para athletes on their journey,” Smyth said in March 2023. “I have loved my time with Team Ireland, and I have had many incredible memories that I will really treasure from my time as an athlete.”
Smyth was recognized during an event at the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake Center in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in September 2023, reported the Church’s Ireland Newsroom.
Smyth is currently a member of the board at Vision Sport, which helps young people with a sight disability into sport. He is also competing on this season of Ireland’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
Taylor Talbot: From sprint to triathlon
USA’s Talbot, 22, who competed in the 100-meter T13 (for visual impairments) and 400-meter T13 race heats, 2020 Paralympic games in Tokyo, announced her retirement in December 2023. She has been training for longer running distances along with swimming and biking, as she’s been competing in triathlons in 2023, including the Paratriathlon World Cup in Long Beach, California, in July.
Her last race as a sprinter was at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in November, where she competed in the 200-meter T12 (for visual impairments).
Talbot, of Oregon, has retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, and is legally blind. She started a unique mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November 2022. She, along with her guide dog, Fargo, has been training while also speaking at Church-sponsored events, possibly using her musical talents, doing temple work, acts of service and other missionary-related activities in the San Diego, California, area.
“I have absolutely no idea what the future holds, but I can’t wait to find out as I prepare to take on elite distance training, travel the world, and continue my service as the first @churchofjesuschrist athlete Service Missionary to help #showtheworld what life and sports are truly about!” she wrote on Instagram and Facebook.
Latter-day Saint Paralympians win gold in Paris and Santiago
Two athletes connected to the Church won gold at at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships in discus and at the Parapan American Games in archery.
In Paris in July, USA’s David Blair won gold in the discus with a throw of 60.36 meters, or 198 feet, in a combined F43, F44 and F64 division, which includes athletes with lower-limb deficiencies. F43 and F44 are divisions where a prosthesis isn’t required, and F64 is the one for when a prosthesis is required.
Blair holds the world record of 64.26 meters, or 210.23 feet, for the F44 division, set in 2021 in Tucson, Arizona, and the Paralympic record of 64.11 meters, or 210.33 feet, in the F44 division, set in 2016 at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Blair, 48, of Eagle Mountain, Utah, who was born with a club foot, was high school state champion in discus and received an athletics scholarship to Weber State University, setting records along the way. He picked up the sport after 16 years and then qualified to compete in Rio, where he set the current Paralympic record and won gold. He also competed in the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which were delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic precautions until 2021.
Also competing in the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships was Margarita Faundez of Chile. She ran in the 1,500-meter, T11 (for those with visual impairments) race. She and her guide, Francisco Segovia, placed sixth with her season’s best time of 5 minutes 33.58 seconds. She also competed in the 1,500 meters, T11, in the 2023 Parapan American Games and placed fifth despite an injury. She shared on Instagram that she is looking toward the 2024 Paris Games.
Faundez, 35, of Santiago, was diagnosed at 5 years old with retinitis pigmentosa. She competed in both the 2016 Rio de Janiero and 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
At the Parapan American Games in Santiago, archer Eric Bennett, of Surprise, Arizona, was on the gold-winning USA team in the mixed team recurve open event with teammate Candice Ceasar, beating the team from Colombia. He made it to the finals in the men’s individual recurve event and took home the silver medal.
He wrote on Facebook that he’s working on prepping for the 2024 Paris Games.
Bennett, 49, lost his right arm above the elbow in a car accident when he was 15 and uses a mouth tab to pull back the string. He’s also competed in the past four Paralympic games.
2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Church News would like to highlight athletes who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics Games in July. If there is an athlete, the Church News should watch for, please send his or her information, including name, country and event, to churchnews@deseretnews.com.
In the Summer Olympics in Tokyo — technically the 2020 Olympics, but delayed a year due to COVID-19 pandemic precautions — 15 athletes connected to the Church competed, and five won medals. During the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, 12 athletes competed, and three won medals.
