Quadruple Amputee Chase Merriweather Has One Goal: Paralympic Gold
Reading Time: 3 minutes
___
Summary:
-
16-year-old Chase Merriweather is a quadruple amputee chasing a spot at the Paralympics
-
Lost both arms and legs to septic shock at age 3, likely triggered by a severe flu strain
-
Now a sophomore track athlete at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, PA
-
Quadruple amputees rarely compete in track; most who go elite do so in swimming
-
Goal: Paralympic gold at LA 2028, the first US Summer Paralympics since Atlanta ‘96
___
Chase Merriweather runs a race that most people his age don’t think about—not just the 100 meters on his high school track, but the life-changing one that began when he was three years old.
As a toddler, Merriweather entered septic shock following an infection believed to be a severe strain of the flu. His organs started failing, and doctors informed his parents that the only way to save him was to amputate both his arms and legs.
Now 16 years old, the student-athlete at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania, is working towards a huge goal: a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.
Finding his sport
Merriweather tried every sport available to him: baseball, soccer, football, swimming, and basketball. But it was track and field where something clicked. In track and field, he found a platform where he could show his strength and determination. He refers to the sport as his “true calling,” especially after his amputation as a young child.
Now a sophomore on his high school’s track team, Merriweather is known around school for his speed. Merriweather said in an interview with WPVI that his younger brother Cassius told him he’s got “sonic speed.”
A rare lane
It is rare to see quadruple amputees competing in elite track and field. Most athletes with limb loss affecting all four limbs who compete internationally do so in swimming, as water alters the physical challenges, making competition more feasible.
But Merriweather is determined not only to become a track star but also to be one of the rare quadruple-amputee athletes competing in the Paralympic Games.
The goal
“I want to win a gold medal,” he told ABC 6.
Merriweather’s statement seems simple and straightforward, but within that single sentence is the knowledge that he will need to give training his all and even forego some things.
His eyes are set on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles—the first Summer Paralympics held in the US since Atlanta in 1996.
Running his own race
Merriweather’s story highlights not only the magnitude of his challenges but also how effortlessly he pursues his goal. However, he isn’t portraying himself as a symbol to inspire others. Instead, he’s just a sophomore who discovered a sport he excels in and is pursuing it like any dedicated young athlete—with a strategy and a firm determination not to let a bad day define him.
He told ABC 6 that if one keeps pursuing one's goals without giving up, one will eventually achieve one's dreams. “You just gotta run your race. I gotta run mine,” Merriweather said.
Related Reading:
High School Track Star Excels Despite Double Amputation
Prosthetic Legs Don’t Give Athletes Unfair Advantage—study
