When it comes to being inspiring, Isaac Jean-Paul is raising the bar. Literally and metaphorically.
He competes in the high jump and long jump and won a silver medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Paris.
"It was a special moment," he says of the win. "This medal is more than just a medal. If it wasn't for the people in my life, I could not have won this."
His achievement is even more extraordinary when you learn he’s also visually impaired, having been diagnosed with juvenile retinoschisis at age two.
"When it comes to the high jump, I have some vision, but I don't see the bar, the actual bar, until I'm getting ready to jump. So I'm using my trust, I'm using confidence, I'm using courage," he said.
"Whenever I get an opportunity to explain how high I jump, I like to use Shaquille O'Neal as a point of reference. I can jump over Shaq with a plate of chicken on his head, and that will equate to seven feet, three inches," he said.
Jean-Paul is speaking to hundreds of local middle school students gathered here at the Ventura County Offices of Education, about overcoming the barriers to his success as part of two days of training for students who volunteer at their school’s wellness centers to promote well-being and mental health.
"I've been through a lot within this sport, within just accepting my disability and being in this moment right now, sharing my story with all these children and the future of tomorrow, and building a platform for that moment is special," he said.
These students will take the lessons with them as part of training for voluntary work at their schools’ wellness centers.
"There's so much need and trauma that our youth is dealing with just in normal society and in the school place, especially with the stressors associated with social media," explained Dr. Cesar Morales, the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.
"What we found with the Olympic athletes that are here is they also had some obstacles in their life that they needed to overcome," said Morales. "Overall, we want to promote wellness. I want every human being, especially our children, to be seen, valued, heard, cared for, and loved so that they have the ability to develop a good self-esteem so they can thrive in society and in themselves."
As for Jean-Paul —he’s one to watch for the 2028 Games, where he’s raising the bar yet again and setting himself an extraordinary goal.
"I am currently training to become the first ever Paralympian to win gold at the Olympic Games in the high jump for L.A. 28," he said.
And if that’s judged by courage and determination, he’d certainly win a gold.
