Bio
Josh came into the world on November 15th, 1984, fighting Neuroblastoma, a non-congenital cancer that primarily affects children. Doctors gave the newborn a narrow chance of survival, but Joshua won miraculously. The damage done to his spinal chord left his legs partially paralyzed but it would be the first of many challenges that he learned to overcome. Josh doesn’t focus on his ‘disability’- it’s something he conquered at an early age. He views it as the blessing that gave him appreciation for health and the building blocks needed to overcome the unavoidable challenges in life.
Joshua grew up as the oldest of 10 kids which began with the military life, then a farm life, and then moving to the city for post secondary education. Josh's early love of sport eventually led to athletics. Wheelchair racing is a sport of strength, endurance and speed… reaching up to 39kph on the flats, and exceeding 80kph on downhills.
Joshua is now a three time Paralympian in wheelchair racing, and a 31 time Canadian champion, competing in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m and Marathon. He competed in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016 Paralympics. He has held Canadian Records in multiple track and road events. He’s won many races around the world including the London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, LA Marathon, Sydney Marathon and many more...
In 2012 Josh overcame many obstacles en route to winning the most prestigious race, the Boston Marathon. There, he recorded the “World’s Fastest Time” of 1:18:25, a record he held for five years. He’s won medals at the Commonwealth Games, Para PanAm Games and World Championships. Josh has beaten every active competitor in the world at least once throughout his career.
Josh’s 'successes' have not come without many 'failures'. Josh openly shares his stories of heartbreak and disappointment as well as the challenges that he overcame with determination, leading to his many achievements. Joshua’s mindset and perspective is his key to life, in success or failure, to bring greater peace and happiness.
Josh has been sharing his journey in speaking engagements, and he also conducts workshops and coaches. He takes his stories and lessons and pulls out the key insights and practices, then applies the tools for others to help them overcome the challenges they face in pursuit of their own goals… whether personally, or in their business/organization. Josh has a vast experience of speaking with corporate, government, academic, charitable and community events, as well as facilitating leadership and HR workshops for businesses.
Training the body and mind to be in their healthiest and most optimum state isn’t only beneficial to Olympians. Revealing how one can achieve balance and harmony in the physical, emotional, and mental realms, Josh brings to light the significance of the universal spiritual connection. He offers insights from his world travels on alternative health practices, ancient methodology, and the energy world that science is newly discovering.
An athlete and an artist by nature, Joshua’s life consists of creating… art, music, and writing. A graduate of Sheridan College’s esteemed Illustration program, he received his BAA degree in 2009. In between training, he has been creating paintings, graphic designs, and working on a passion project- a graphic novel which he is writing and illustrating. Josh looks forward to fully immersing himself in this world once he transitions from his athletic career.
Joshua is the embodiment of passion and resilience. His inspiration is the spiritual journey and striving to be the ultimate version of oneself. His work is helping others discover their limitless potential, to serve others. He will motivate you and open your mind to greater possibilities with his perspective. You may also start to believe "anything is possible".
