Elexis LaVelle "Lex" Gillette (born October 19, 1984) is a blind Paralympic athlete from Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States competing in T11 (track) and F11 (field) events for the United States. He competed in the

2004 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 136 , athletes = 3,806 , events = 519 in 19 sports , opening = 17 September , closing = 28 September , opened_by = President Costis Stephanopoulos , cauldron = Georgios Toptsis , stadium = Olympic ...

in Athens, where he won silver in the men's long jump F11 event. At the

2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was ...

in Beijing, he won a silver medal in the men's long jump F11 event and finished fifth in the men's triple jump F11. He competed in 100 m and 200 m T11 events but did not advance to the finals. At the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

in London, he won a third consecutive silver medal in the men's long jump F11 event and finished fourth in the triple jump event. At the

2016 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 159 , athletes = 4,342 , opening = 7 September , closing = 18 September , opened_by = President Michel Temer , cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva , events = 528 in 22 sports , stadium = Maracanã , sum ...

in Rio, he won a fourth consecutive silver medal in the men's Long Jump - T11 event. At the

2020 Summer Paralympics The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralym ...

in Tokyo, he won a fifth consecutive silver medal in the men's Long Jump - T11 event. In 2019, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Lex won the gold medal with a jump of 6.45 m during the

2019 World Para Athletics Championships – Men's long jump The men's long jump at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships was held at the Dubai Club for People with Determination in Dubai from 7–15 November. Medalists Events listed in pink were contested but no medals were awarded. Detailed resu ...

, marking his fourth world championship. At the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France, he won gold in the men's long jump F11 event and he also won silver in the triple jump event. Gillette was a part of the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships 4 × 100 m relay team that won a silver medal and set a new American record in the process. Gillette broke his own long jump world record for F11 classified athletes of 6.73 m (22 feet 1 inch) with a leap of 6.77 m (22 feet 2 in.) on April 23, 2015, at a high performance meet held at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center.

Education

He attended Athens Drive High School and graduated from

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

in 2007.

Music

Lex Gillette is also a musician. He plays the piano and enjoys singing. Gillette released a music single on April 16, 2012, that was originally titled Go for Gold and was later changed to On the Stage.

Beep ball

While in high school, Gillette was introduced to beep ball, a modified form of baseball for the visually impaired and blind. In 2003, Gillette was recruited to play with the West Coast Dawgs of the

National Beep Baseball Association Beep baseball is a Forms of baseball, form of baseball which can be played by people who are visually impaired, using a ball that beeps. National Beep Baseball Association The National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) was organized in the United S ...

. His first role with the team consisted mostly of designated hitter duties, but in 2005, Gillette became the starting right fielder for the Dawgs. In 2005 West Coast finished 5th in the World Series that were held in Houston, Texas. 2006 saw the Dawgs play in the championship game where they lost to the Taiwan Home Run. The 2007 World Series of Beep Ball were held in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

, and the Dawgs returned to the championship game only to lose to the Kansas All Stars. In 2008, Gillette won his first World Series title with the West Coast Dawgs as they outlasted Kansas for the world title. He was named to the offensive all-star team in the same year. The Dawgs returned to the 2009 World Series title game and repeated as champions against the Taiwan Home Run. In both 2010, and 2011, the West Coast Dawgs played in the World Series title game against the Taiwan Home Run, and both times, Gillette scored the game-winning run to put the Dawgs on top as world champions. ESPN’s E60 featured Gillette and the West Coast Dawgs’ 2011 title run.

Awards

In November 2015, Gillette received the Athletes in Excellence Award from

The Foundation for Global Sports Development The Foundation for Global Sports Development is a 501(c) organization which creates and supports programs promoting sportsmanship, education, fair play and ethics for children around the world. Attorney David Ulich is president of the foundation ...

, in recognition of his community service efforts and work with youth.

Lex Gillette Day

Mayor David S. Gysberts and Washington County Board of Commissioners Terry Baker proclaimed September 25 Lex Gillette Day in both

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States and the county seat of Washington County. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2020 census was 43,527, and the population of the Hagerstown metropolitan area (exten ...

and

Washington County, MD Washington County is located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,705. Its county seat is Hagerstown. Washington County was the first county in the United States to be named for the ...

Major Accomplishments

* 2002: United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

* 2004: Paralympic Games Silver Medalist - Long Jump,

Athens, Greece Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

* 2006: Paralympic World Cup Silver Medalist - Long Jump, Manchester, England * 2006: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Atlanta, Georgia * 2006: IPC Athletics World Championships Silver Medalist - Long Jump, Assen, The Netherlands * 2007: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Marietta, Georgia * 2007: Para-Pan American Games Bronze Medalist - Long Jump, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * 2008: U.S. Paralympics track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Triple Jump, Tempe, Arizona * 2008: U.S. Paralympics track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Tempe, Arizona * 2008: Paralympic Games Silver Medalist - Long Jump, Beijing,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

* 2010: Athletics Disability Challenge Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Liverpool, England * 2010: Paralympic World Cup Bronze Medalist - 100m sprint, Manchester, England * 2010: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - 200m sprint,

Miramar, Florida Miramar is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,721. It is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which is home to approximately six million people. History Miramar wa ...

* 2010: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - 100m sprint,

* 2010: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Triple Jump,

* 2010: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

* 2011: IPC Athletics World Championships Bronze Medalist - 200m sprint, Christchurch, New Zealand * 2011: IPC Athletics World Championships Bronze Medalist - Triple Jump, Christchurch, New Zealand * 2011: Desert Challenge Games Gold Medalist - 100m sprint,

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

* 2011: Desert Challenge Games Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

* 2011: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - 200m sprint,

* 2011: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - 100m sprint,

* 2011: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Triple Jump,

* 2011: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

* 2012: Desert Challenge Games Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

* 2012: Paralympic Games Silver Medalist - Long Jump, London, England * 2013: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Silver medalist - 100m Sprint, San Antonio, Texas * 2013: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Triple Jump, San Antonio, Texas * 2013: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump, San Antonio, Texas * 2013: IPC Athletics World Championships Silver Medalist - 4 × 100 m relay, Lyon, France * 2013: IPC Athletics World Championships Silver Medalist - Triple Jump, Lyon, France * 2013: IPC Athletics World Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Lyon, France * 2014: Desert Challenge Games Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

* 2014: IX Internacional Meeting Kern Pharma, Gran Prix Sauleda Champion - Long Jump, Barcelona, Spain * 2014: Italian Open Championships Grand Prix Silver Medalist - 100m sprint, Grosseto, Italy * 2014: Italian Open Championships Grand Prix Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Grosseto, Italy * 2014: Meeting d’Athlétisme Paralympique de Paris Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Paris, France * 2014: U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump,

San Mateo, California San Mateo ( ; ) is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. About 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco, the city borders Burlingame to the north, Hillsborough to the west, San Francisco Bay and Foster C ...

* 2014: IPC Athletics Grand Prix Finals Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Birmingham, England * 2015: Desert Challenge Games Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Tempe, Arizona * 2016: Paralympic Games Silver Medalist - Long Jump, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * 2019: Silver Medalist, Long Jump, Parapan American Games, Lima, Peru * 2019: IPC Athletics World Championships Gold Medalist - Long Jump, Dubai, United Arab Emirates * 2021: Paralympic Games Silver Medalist - Long Jump, Tokyo,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, Lex 1984 births Living people Visually impaired long jumpers Paralympic track and field athletes for the United States Track and field athletes from Raleigh, North Carolina Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Paralympic silver medalists for the United States World record holders in para-athletics American male long jumpers American male triple jumpers American male sprinters East Carolina University alumni Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships World Para Athletics Championships winners Medalists at the 2007 Parapan American Games Medalists at the 2015 Parapan American Games Medalists at the 2019 Parapan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Athens Drive High School alumni University of Phoenix alumni American blind people