Local Paralympic Athlete Takes Silver in Parapan Am Games
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POCATELLO — A Pocatello man recently received a silver medal in a major sporting event.
Tyson Gunter participated in the Parapan Am Games in Toronto. The international event is held every four years for athletes with physical disabilities. The competition involved all countries in North, Central and South America.
Although the 28-year-old is dealing with visual impairment, it didn’t keep him from his medal. Gunter competed in various track events and received a silver medal in men’s long jump.
Gunter says that he was glad to redeem himself after a bad start in the 100-meter event.
“It didn’t go as planned and so it was nice to come back and finish on a good note,” he said.
The Paralympic games aren’t a walk in the park as some may think.
“The competition is stiff though. It’s not an easy thing. A lot of people think they can get into it, but it’s very stiff competition. There are world-class athletes,” Tyson Gunter said.
Vickie Gunter, Tyson’s mother, said that he has always been driven.
“When he was just a youngster he was determined that he wasn’t going to be singled out from anybody else even though he was visually impaired,” she said.
Tyson Gunter will be competing at the Paralympics World Championships in Qatar at the end of October.