Lex Gillette Biography

In the history of the U.S. Paralympic movement, Lex Gillette is the best, totally blind, long and triple jumper. He is a world record holder in long jump, a four-time Paralympic medalist, a three-time long jump world champion, and an 18-time national champion. He is the only totally blind athlete to ever eclipse the 22-foot barrier in long jump. At childhood, many of his fellow eight-year-olds were seen riding bicycles, shooting baskets, or frolicking on nearby playgrounds, but Gillette was dealing with a far more challenging situation. His sight slowly began to fade due to recurrent retina detachments and he underwent ten operations which failed to stabilize what was left of his sight. After the final surgery, Gillette's mother Verdina Gillette-Simms, had the difficult task of telling her son he would likely never see again and she vowed to teach Gillette everything he would need to know to be successful in life. Her hard work and love were the foundation for Gillette's accomplishments. Gillette won his first Paralympic silver medal in long jump at age 19. His achievements at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece were the culmination of years of hard work and training. Since then, Gillette has solidified himself as a tenacious competitor for Team USA. Each of his athletic performances have resulted in medals with the most recent being gold in the long jump at the 2017 Para Athletics World Championships. Gillette is currently training and competing to make his fifth consecutive U.S. Paralympic team and has his sights set on the 2020 Paralympic Games. His only goal is to win gold for the United States of America. As a singer song writer, athlete, motivational speaker, Gillette epitomizes the phrase “No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision®”.

As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Lex Gillette's expertise is in high demand. To book Lex Gillette for your next event, conference, or workshop, please contact our speaker booking agency. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and help secure Lex Gillette's participation. With our professional guidance and seamless booking process, you can ensure a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. Don't miss the opportunity to engage your audience with Lex Gillette's compelling insights and inspire positive change within your organization. Fill out the booking request form to take the first step in securing Lex Gillette for your next speaking engagement.