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Jason P. Lester

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Born in 1974 in Arizona, Jason P. Lester has a long history of being an athlete. He played baseball & football as a child and was an All Star athlete as a youth. When he was twelve years old, he was hit while on his bicycle by a woman driving 70 mph who ran a red light. He was left for dead with 21 broken bones & a collapsed lung. Jason lost the use of his right arm, which became partially paralyzed as a result of the accident. Over the next several months while he began a lengthy hospital recovery, dreams of becoming a professional athlete were put on the back burner. While he was still in the hospital recovering, his father and sole guardian, died of a heart attack. But that didn’t stop Jason’s drive. Twelve months after the accident, he went on to continue to play baseball & football, making the all star game with the use of only one arm. Jason continued to play sports throughout high school & college. He began to compete in running & biathlon races at age 16 and by age 18 was ranked #2 for biathlons in the state of Arizona.

In 2004, Jason stumbled across the Ironman World Championships in Kona. His spirit felt the energy of the Ironman, and he realized it was his life’s calling to compete in this incredible event. He hired a coach to teach him how to swim and began training vigorously. With the intense training schedule, amazingly Jason began to notice that he was slowly regaining movement in his right arm. But his aspirations didn't stop at the Ironman. In 2008, Jason became the first challenged athlete to complete the Ultraman World Championships. In June 2009 at Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, Jason came in 3rd in his age group, which qualified him to compete in the Ironman World Championships (Oct 2009). In July 2009, Jason broke ground by becoming the first male triathlete to win an ESPY Award. In August 2009, Jason became the 25th person to complete both Ultraman Canada and Ultraman Hawaii out of 428 total competitors. In November 2009, Jason will attempt to become the 6th athlete in the history of Ultraman to complete both Hawaii & Canada in the same year. Although his journey has been filled with heartbreak & trauma, Jason has never let this get in the way of always striving to excel and live his dreams.

In 2007, Jason founded The NEVER STOP Foundation[1] . The Foundation uses athletics to teach its young participants how to think creatively about their lives - then gives them the practical skills to turn their dreams into reality. A variety of sports programs make the child the central focus with adult athletes, teachers, and counselors acting as supporters. Mid-level programs emphasize collaboration between adult and child and later programs challenge the young people to stand on their own while staying connected to the world around them. The goal is to help those in their formative years find their own true voice, help them build their confidence, improve their communication skills and learn the values of discipline, trust, compassion, self-reliance, and respect.

Jason is active in the development of the NSPC (the Never Stop Performance Center) based in his home town of Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i. The center, set to break ground in 2011, will be a place where both children and adults will receive a chance to improve their lives through athletics, helping to build a strong life mentally, physically, and spiritually, further enabling them to reach their full potential.

Art

Jason found solace through art. Both his father and grandfather were accomplished artists, and Jason seemed to have inherited the same gift- a natural talent for painting. In 2001 he opened The JR Gallery in Manhattan Beach, California, featuring the works of new and established artists, including paintings from Jason’s own collection. The gallery and art career flourished and he became an internationally acclaimed artist, with many of his works and private commissions being requested by the sports clients of his past.

Racing and Endurance Highlights

EPIC5, 2010
ESPY Award Winner - Best Male Athlete with a Disability, 2009[2] (1st male triathlete to win an ESPY award)
ULTRAMAN Canada, 2008 (4th place overall in the run)[3], 2009 (14th place overall)[4]
ULTRAMAN Hawaii World Championships, 2008 (24th overall)[5], 2009 (18th overall)[6]
IRONMAN Arizona, 2007, 2008
IRONMAN Hawaii World Championships, 2008, 2009
IRONMAN Western Australia, 2007
70.3 Boise, 2009
70.3 Honolulu, 2009 (3rd in age group, and qualified for Ironman World Championships)
Ultramarathon – Hilo to Volcano, 2008 (9th place overall)
UItramarathon – Western States 100, 2009 (pacer)
ITU Triathlon World Championships, 2007 (6th place), 2008 (2nd in category)
International Triathlon San Diego, 2007
The Nautica New York City Triathlon, 2007 (2nd in category)
Duathlon – Pac Crest Endurance, 2008 (3rd in age group[7])
USAT (USA Triathlon) PC Athlete of the Year, 2008
USAT (USA Triathlon) PC Athlete of the Year Finalist, 2007
Scottsdale Duathlon, 2005, (1st in age group[8], 2nd overall[9])

Planned events

70.3 Honolulu, 2010
IRONMAN Hawaii World Championships, 2010
ULTRAMAN World Championships 2010

Articles & Interviews

References

  1. ^ http://www.neverstopfoundation.org/
  2. ^ http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/espy-winners-2009-complete-list
  3. ^ http://www.ultramancanada.com/html/2008.html
  4. ^ http://www.ultramancanada.com/UltraMan%20Canada%202009%20Final%20Results.pdf
  5. ^ http://ultramanlive.com/2008-ultraman-world-championships/2008-results-page/
  6. ^ http://ultramanlive.com/2008-ultraman-world-championships/2009-main-results-page/
  7. ^ http://www.racecenter.com/results/2008/pcendu08.htm
  8. ^ http://www.trifamilyracing.com/Results/2005/Adults_March/Du_age_group.txt
  9. ^ http://www.trifamilyracing.com/Results/2005/Adults_March/Du_overall.txt
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