What’s your excuse? Regas Woods’ journey is as inspirational as it gets

By Jayson Panganiban June 19, 2022 03:32

Photo by AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel, File

In a world where people make excuses for themselves every single day, Regas Woods simply gets up and does the work.

The 40-year-old Paralympic star doesn’t dwell on what he doesn’t have. The Fan Arch athlete focuses on the gifts he possesses and how he can use them to his advantage and improve day in and day out.

Regas Woods was born with a congenital anomaly in his legs which prevented his tibia and fibula from developing properly. He had both his legs amputated at age two.

As a child, doctors told him that it would be impossible for him to run. At first, he just wanted to prove that he could. Who knew that his relentless desire and undying perseverance would one day make him a U.S. Paralympian para pan gold & silver medalist and a World championships bronze medalist. Wow.

Regas Woods’ journey wasn’t exactly an easy road to traverse. In fact, there were two instances in his career where he broke the blades on his prosthetics mid-race. Given the dire situation, no one would fault him for quitting and calling it a day.

But that’s not what Regas Woods is all about. The man simply has no quit in him.

Back in the 200m event at the 2019 Grand Prix event in Grosseto, Italy, Regas Woods' running blade broke after 50 meters. The defiant star, however, refused to quit and just hopped the remaining 150 meters on one leg straight to the finish line. He received a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.

"I just remember looking back and seeing the blade and thinking, 'I never give up, you can never give up', and that's what I always say, so I knew I had to finish,” he said.

Here’s the inspirational and heartwarming moment where Regas Woods defied all odds.

Never give up! #TuesdayMotivation

Wow, @regaswoods27! 👏pic.twitter.com/8S7M91HGvL
— Agitos Foundation (@Agitos) June 11, 2019

It wasn’t the first time he did something like that either. Regas Woods also managed to finish the US trials for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after breaking broke both his blades in the long jump event. Regas Woods had to borrow another competitor’s prosthetic to continue and even set a qualifying record for his attempt.

"I made the team on another man's foot. Who can say that they've borrowed another man's foot and made the team?"

Are you as determined as Paralympic sprinter Regas Woods? Well, probably not. But you could show your admiration and support by copping Fan Arch’s Regas Woods-personalized merchandise. We got a wide selection of shirts, hoodies, caps, and so much more featuring Regas Woods’ own logo and likeness.

Aside from his inspiring work on the track, Regas Woods does so much more outside of it. Along with fellow US Para-athlete Nick Stilwell, he co-founded Never Say Never, a foundation that aims to improve the lives of young people with impairments through sport.

“You are the only person that can ever limit you.” That’s the foundation’s tagline. Regas Woods is truly an amazing athlete and an even better human being.

Regas Woods, along with 700+ professional athletes and influencers, all have personalized merchandise available on the Fan Arch’s website!

Fan Arch aims to transcend the narrative by making it easier to bridge the gap between athletes, influencers, and their fans. Check out our creative and personalized collection through Fanarch.com.