Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the July/August issue of LDS Living magazine. The theme for the issue was Finding Peace in which we explored the incredible reality that when our hearts are in tune with the Savior, personal peace is possible.
When RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars asked me to be on the show, I told them I’d have to think about it. This was so not me—I was a professional sprinter with no experience dancing. My wife and two little girls really wanted me to do it. I still wasn’t sure but with time, I began to see that this could be a great platform to try and expand people’s perception of what’s possible in life.
I’m from northwestern Ireland and have Stargardt disease, which means I only have roughly 5 to 10 percent of normal vision. When I was growing up, 1 Corinthians 10:13 massively changed my perspective on life: “But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” From that verse I knew that no matter how difficult things might feel with my vision impairment, it would never be too much; I could always overcome it. That faith shaped what I believed I was capable of.
At the invitation of a schoolteacher, I started running, which led to an 18-year professional sprinting career. I became a six-time Paralympic champion and won nine world gold medals and six European titles. For nine years I held the record as the world’s fastest Paralympian, with a 100-meter time of 10.46 seconds. At the beginning, my motivation for running was to win medals. But over time I came to care more about breaking down barriers between what people think is possible and impossible through the challenges of life.
I believe challenges are for our growth. When we see them as opportunities and choose to step outside our comfort zone, that is often when the magic happens—that’s when you are molded into something more than you were before.
So I said yes to Dancing with the Stars here in Ireland. There were many moments when I asked myself why I’d agreed to do it. But after 11 challenging, amazing weeks, my dancing partner, and I actually won the show! Holding up the trophy meant even more to me because the winning couple is decided by public vote; it was deeply satisfying to know that people felt inspired by my story.
Watch a special performance from Jason’s time on the show in which a special effect was used on the cameras to give viewers an idea of Jason’s visibility.
My other favorite scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 122:7: “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” That perspective has completely shaped my life, leading me to find peace and do things I never would have imagined were possible.
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