James E. MacLaren (April 13, 1963 – August 31, 2010) was a motivational speaker and author, noted for his record-breaking performances in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

and

Ironman triathlon An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a swim, a bicycle ride and a marathon run completed in that order, a total of . It is widely consider ...

after having his left leg amputated below the knee. MacLaren was born on 13 April 1963. He was a standout athlete in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. Moreover, even before matriculating at Yale he had been a leading athlete at

Vermont Academy Vermont Academy (VA) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory, boarding and day school in Saxtons River, Vermont, serving students from ninth through twelfth grade, as well as postgraduates. Founded in 1876, the campus was listed on the ...

. In 1985, at the age of 22, MacLaren lost his left leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident, and had to be defibrillated. He recovered, and went on to run the marathon in 3 hours, 16 minutes, and to finish the Ironman Hawaii in 10 hours, 42 minutes. Then, in 1993, during the Orange County Triathlon, MacLaren was struck by a van during the bike portion of the race and collided with a signpost, rendering him a

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...

. MacLaren's accident inspired members of the running community to raise funds to allow him to purchase a van he could drive with his hands. The fundraiser rose above and beyond the amount of funds necessary, and the

Challenged Athletes Foundation The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), established in 1997, assists, supports, and provides opportunity to people with physical challenges, so that they can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events. It is founded in the belief th ...

was founded in an effort to support other disabled athletes in their efforts. Again MacLaren recovered, and used a wheelchair. MacLaren then worked as a motivational speaker and author. He was awarded the

Arthur Ashe Courage Award The Arthur Ashe Courage Award (sometimes called the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage or Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award) is presented as part of the ESPY Awards. It is named for the American tennis player Arthur Ashe. Although it is a s ...

at the 2005

ESPY An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

Awards presentation. He died August 31, 2010, in his sleep.

External links

Jim MacLaren official web siteIronmanLive.com story
on Jim MacLaren {{DEFAULTSORT:Maclaren, Jim American amputees American motivational speakers American motivational writers American male triathletes 1963 births 2010 deaths Yale Bulldogs football players Vermont Academy alumni