Justin Phongsavanh
Hometown: Des Moines, IA
Personal Story: Justin Phongsavanh is a dedicated para track and field athlete who has made significant achievements in his sport. He has earned three gold medals in shot put, discus, and javelin. Justin also secured a gold medal at the Parapan American Games in Peru in 2019 and achieved 4th place at the World Championships in Dubai. Justin was a multi-sport athlete in high school, participating in football, track and field, wrestling, and rugby. In October 2015, Justin’s life took a dramatic turn when he and a friend were gunned down in a fast food parking lot, resulting in him being paralyzed below the waist. After spending four months in the hospital and undergoing extensive physical therapy, Justin returned home with a renewed desire to compete. Five months after his injury, Justin reached out to Adaptive Sports Iowa to explore Paralympic sport opportunities. Since then, he has made the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Team and has represented Team USA in international competitions. Justin first heard about the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) in 2016 through a local adaptive club in Iowa. He received his first equipment grant in 2017 for a throwing chair and another grant in 2018 to buy a javelin, which helped him secure a spot on the national team. Justin has also contributed to CAF by helping create instructional videos for adaptive high school athletes and serving as head coach of seated throwers at the CAF high school adaptive sports clinic in 2019. In his free time, Justin enjoys fishing, playing with his dog, and hanging out with his friends.
Physical Disability: Paralysis, waist down
Sport: Track & Field
Social Media: Instagram