Interview with Jessica Heims
Interview with Jessica Heims
By Jed Q. Peterson
All photos property of Jessica Heims, used with permission.
Charge Magazine: Hi, Jessica! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us. To start off, you’ve had quite the amazing journey on this planet so far. You were born with amniotic band syndrome, a condition where tissue, or bands, from floating parts of the amniotic sac wrapped around your limbs, You were still a baby when you had your right leg amputated below the knee. You began running in track and field at ten and at age eleven you met future Paralympic teammate Scout Bassett, who helped get you involved in Para track and field. You continued your journey through high school, where among so many awards and honors you were named homecoming queen and had a day named after you by the city council. You’re currently at the University of Northern Iowa majoring in biology, running track and throwing discus, and you recently became the first female leg amputee to get a Division One athletic scholarship. Along the way you’ve competed for the US National team in numerous international events, including the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and this summer you set a world record in discus.
To start, let’s talk about your time as an Olympian. There are very few things in life cooler than being an Olympian. Maybe nothing cooler, now that I think about it. What was it like to participate at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? What were some highlights, and what were some surprises?
Jessica Heims: Being at the Olympic and Paralympic games is definitely one of the highlights of my life so far. I had grown up as a fan of the Games and loved watching them on TV- in the fourth grade I even dressed up as an Olympian for Halloween. The moment I found out that I had made the team I started bawling my eyes out but I wasn’t at all ashamed about it. I had so much pride in that accomplishment and it was all so surreal. The first time I put on my USA uniform I’m pretty sure I didn’t take it off for about an hour! Being able to go to Rio and see firsthand all of the things I grew up hearing about took my breath away more times than I can count.
One highlight that I looked forward to was my first time stepping on to the track. The athletes train at different facilities than the competition venues so I didn’t actually touch the track until five minutes before my competition. I had expected this to be a huge moment for me, but it surpassed my imagination. We entered the track from an underground tunnel so the lights and stadium noise all hit me at once- just like they show in the movies. I will never forget that moment.
One thing that surprised me was how excited the locals were for the Games. I wasn’t sure what to expect of the Rio citizens, but they turnout and support from them was phenomenal. They loved waving to us in the buses and so many of them would corner me at public venues to get a picture with my USA gear. The day I threw the discus the stadium actually held more people than a few weeks before when Usain Bolt won the 100m gold. Having their support and gracious hospitality really humbled me. Another surprising highlight of my time in Rio was the first time I saw my family while I was down there. They are all my biggest supporters, and considering that I am super close with them it was difficult to go about a week and a half down there without seeing them. The day after they flew to Rio we were able to meet up outside the stadium. I didn’t think I would be so emotional about it but seeing them in that stadium made everything so much more real to me. We hugged and shed a few tears and laughed about how crazy it all was. They deserve so much for supporting me, and I felt much more at home knowing that they would be there cheering me on.
CM: I can’t even imagine how incredible an experience that must have been. What did it mean to you to represent the United States at the highest level of sport?
JH: Any time I get to put on the American uniform is truly an honor. I wear the flag on my chest but I’m not just representing that flag, I’m representing all who call America home. I get to compete for those who love and support me at home, I get to compete for the Iowans who cheer on their hometown heroes, and I get to compete for those who are marginalized and overshadowed by society. Team USA’s diversity celebrates all the different faces of America and we as the athletes have the rare opportunity to showcase all the people our nation was made for.
CM: You’ve had support from your family, friends and church as well as your local community and numerous other groups throughout your life. What has that meant to you over the years? How has your faith impacted you along your journey?
JH: The support from everyone in my life has meant more to me than I could ever put into words. Every child and every athlete deserves all of the support that was poured into me as I was growing up. My parents encouraged me in my athletic endeavors and made sure that I competed for the right reasons. I knew that if I ever wanted to quit track that I would have their full support, and if I ever wanted to pursue track to a higher level I would have them behind me the whole time. My favorite part of any competition is being able to see my family after I finish competing. My sisters have been my biggest fans and greatest advocates all my life and seeing them after I compete puts a bigger smile on my face than any medal ever could.
I am always so overwhelmed by the support my community gives me in my athletic endeavors. In 2016, Cedar Rapids was all buzzed about my Rio travels. Even though very few people really understood the Paralympics at the time, the whole city was eager to learn about them so they could cheer me on. Now that I am up at UNI, the Cedar Falls community has adopted me and is doing the same thing. It really brings me so much joy to have everyone supported me.
My faith is my number one credit to getting to where I am today. Through my faith journey I have learned that my worth and value is not in my disability, or in how many medals I can get, or whether or not I fail in a competition. My entire worth is in who Christ sees me as- an imperfect soul who is perfectly loved. Knowing that my worth does not change with what I can or can’t achieve has allowed me to take risks such as attempting to make the Olympic team. I know that I am fully loved regardless of if I win or lose.
CM: How has traveling the world as an ambassador for your sport, your country, and the adaptive community impacted your understanding of and connection to those three worlds? What countries are more progressive in promoting equity and what parts of the world have a long way to go?
JH: Every time I travel someplace new I have to rearrange my previous conceptions on how all of those worlds work together. Growing up I was not a part of a large adaptive community because there is a small number of adaptive people in Iowa. Everything I knew of sport was what I had witnessed on my able bodied school and club teams. Once I went to my first adaptive competition I had to mentally rework how they fit together. I had never before known of adaptive athletes having success in sports so it allowed me to be more confident in my athletic competitions and set goals. My first international competition again changed my thoughts about their connections because of how the athletes and coaches viewed themselves in the light of the public. I have since been to competitions in eleven countries and each one has proven drastically different.
England has by far been the most outstanding in their support and views of adaptive sports. The Paralympic movement started in England back in the 1940s as a way for wounded veterans to stay active. I competed at the hospital venue where they began the movement and I could see the pride of the locals as they boasted about their history and support of the athletes. A large percentage of the citizens there are aware of the Paralympics and support local adaptive programs. I often have flight connections through London, and I am always so surprised at how many locals recognize the Paralympic logo on my clothing and ask about my disability classification and sport. The English have a very unique way of classifying disabled athletes in the same hierarchy as able-bodied athletes- something that America is severely lacking in. We are by far not the worst when it comes to treatment of the disabled, but that does not mean we can settle on that. Countries with cultures that value the group over the individual tend to be the least receptive of the disabled. If a person does not look or function in the way that the others do, they are easily cast aside and treated as less than human.
CM: I love how you say that you rearrange your previous conceptions every time you travel someplace new. I think recognizing that there are so many different ways to live and connect with each other is one of the most amazing things about traveling. It also forces us to ask how our home country compares to the rest of the world. This makes me wonder, where does the United States fit in the conversation about promoting equity for the adaptive community?
JH: The United States has so many different subcultures that it’s hard to really generalize the views on adaptive programs. This being said, very often the American people are plainly unaware of adaptive sports and the Paralympics. People often mistake the Paralympics with the Special Olympics when it comes up in conversation, which is offensive to both parties. While they both cater to the disabled, each is vastly different group from the other. Ignoring the characteristics and participants in each leads to issues where we as a society ignore what disability actually entails. Americans tend to see the disabled as one lumped group and not as a group of many different parts. Some disabilities are visible and easily recognizable, such as my amputation. Other disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, are not as easily diagnosed by the eye. People get uncomfortable when they don’t know how to label you because that means they can’t use their preconceived stereotypes to address you. Education on the range of disabilities is something every person could benefit from- myself included.
CM: You’re seen as a role model and a trailblazer to so many, which can be a heavy responsibility. How have role models in your life helped you prepare to give back in that role? As you’ve traveled and come across so many places of needs in this world, what are some organizations or charities you’ve associated with that we should all know about?
JH: I have been fortunate enough to have had many people to look up to in my life. Many of the other athletes I grew up watching have now become mentors to me and have showed me how to use my journey as a path for good. One organization that has been a key player in my life is the Challenged Athletes Foundation. This group hosts fundraisers and events to raise money for equipment, travel grants, and programs for disabled athletes. I first linked up with them in middle school when I met someone from CAF while cheering on the Pigman triathlon. CAF offered to pay for my first running leg and have brought me for several years in a row to their annual San Diego Triathlon Challenge. This is their largest event of the year and features hundreds of disabled athletes of all ages getting to know one another and learning how to adapt to sports. Through CAF I was able to connect with other amputees and learn how to deal with adaptive athletics in school and what prosthetics were necessary for certain activities.
CM: Unfortunately, there are many who feel adaptive athletes don’t belong in ‘regular’ athletics. You’ve already broken down many barriers, including being the first the first female amputee athlete to get a Division One athletic scholarship. How have you experienced pushback in your career? Is it always up front or in the open, or is how is it seen in subtle or seemingly invisible ways?
JH: Most of the pushback I’ve received in my athletic career has surprisingly been directed at my family instead of me. I assume that is due to the fact that no one wants to tell the disabled kid that they ‘have an advantage’. When I first started running I was using my everyday walking leg and I was slow as they got, but when I got a running leg I started actually being able to keep up and beat people. I often say that everyone loves to cheer on the disabled athlete until they start beating you. When I started to do somewhat decent in youth races some parents approached my mom and said that I was using a leg that gave me a cheating advantage and that I shouldn’t be allowed to use it or compete. My parents shielded this from me as best as they could, but I had well-working ears that could hear what people said, not to mention that people rarely cover up their dirty looks. As I got older and joined my school team I found it easier to cope with the negativity. I had a group of friends who saw me struggle daily with malfunctioning prosthetics and a painful residual limb, whereas everyone else only saw glorified races. Those who were close to me knew that it wasn’t easy dealing with these issues and that it was a blessing for me to be able to compete with them in the first place.
CM: What are some things we could do as a society that would change people’s opinions on this?
JH: As a society, I feel like the best thing we can do is offer education on the daily issues that various disabilities cause. Even today I have friends who are surprised to know that I use a handicap parking pass because they’ve never been educated on how movement with amputated limbs works and how it affects us in adverse weather such as snow and rain. From an athletic perspective, I think it would be beneficial to show a glimpse into the training and barriers that adaptive athletes deal with. I think that any team with an adaptive athlete or competes against a team with an adaptive athlete should spend time to understand the disability and how it affects them. It’s a lot harder to be mean or ignorant once you learn what that person deals with on a daily basis.
CM: I absolutely love the photograph of all your prosthetic legs over the years that you lined up at your high school graduating. The first one is so tiny! How has the technology behind adaptive prosthetics changed as you’ve gone through so many legs? You don’t run with any of the prosthetics that you use in daily life. What are the differences between the legs you use for daily use and your running leg?
JH: Prosthetic legs have changed so much since I first had my amputation. My first leg itself was made of wood! Skip forward 21 years and I now switch between three carbon fiber and titanium legs. Running legs in particular have gone through huge changes and have become very specific to the athlete using it. The prosthetic who makes a running leg can use weight, height, and running event to design a blade that fits with the person and will give them the best energy return.
My walking leg is shaped similar to a regular leg with a foot shell over the carbon fiber ‘doll foot’ that allows for low energy movement and standing. My running legs are fully carbon fiber in a j-shape that are strategically designed for each track event I compete in. There is no heel or foot on it, just a 3-4 inch space that comes in contact with the ground. Engineers have designed the thickness and angle of the curves to fit athlete types the best. They are always changing and I am very lucky to work with one of the world’s best who is able to cater more specifically to my needs.
CM: What is the process that goes into picking a new leg? Which one was your favorite?
JH: Growing up I needed a new leg about once a year. Think of how you need to buy a new pair of shoes because you’ve outgrown them- now imagine you’re stuck in that pair all of the time. Any little growth I would have would be immediately felt because my prosthetic had to fit tightly against me to stay on. Growth spurt years were incredibly difficult to deal with, and there were times I had to use crutches to avoid using my leg. I was blessed with a children’s hospital that helped cover the costs but unfortunately for some families the financial burden during this time period is much worse.
My favorite leg of all time was one that I had when I was three years old. I had a Minnie Mouse design and that year we went to Disney World.
CM: I read with sadness of the passing of Marieke Vervoot, the Paralympic gold medalists who recently ended her life through euthanasia. Depression, anxiety, emotional health and physical barriers are all issues that are amplified within the adaptive community. Do you feel like we, as a society, are improving in getting people the help they need? And how are the needs of the adaptive community similar and different to the rest of society? What could we be doing better?
JH: I do feel like our society has grown immensely with mental health help, however we are still far from over with this fight. Mental health issues will never ‘go away’ so we need to adapt and change as a society to help those who suffer. In recent years the topic of mental health has become a large player in the adaptive community. Since so many of us deal with outward and obvious physical health problems it becomes easy to push aside any invisible or hidden mental health issues that come up in our lives. These mental issues start to feel as though it’s not as important since we can’t see it on the outside. When you compare the outward appearance of mental versus physical health is seems as though our physical disabilities affect us more on a daily basis, but the truth is that mental health affects us just as much as our physical health.
Societally, the best way to help this is to address them both with the same urgency and validity. We should be just as accepting of a request for a mental health therapist as a request for medical devices. Trauma that causes physical disability rarely occurs without causing mental health issues as well. As seen in many veterans, PTSD affects so many people who were in trauma accidents, and depression and anxiety often come afterwards. If a person dealing with a physical change does not have the mental space to adapt to their situation, they can delay their healing process, which prolongs the effects of their lack of physical activity. This is a long and vicious cycle that can only be broken if we make a change in one of the links. Physical therapy and mental therapy should go hand in hand during and after the recovery process.
CM: So well said. How do you deal with all the pressures put on you?
JH: Personally I have been blessed with an environment in which I could freely express any anxieties or pressures I have felt. I came into the spotlight with my sports fairly young and my parents recognized right away that it could cause issues if they didn’t sit me down and let me know that my feelings are valid and okay to talk about. Having that support system of family and coaches helped me separate track pressures from my personal life. Because of that separation I didn’t have to feel pressured into being a certain symbol of what society wanted me to be; I could take a breather and know I didn’t have to always be the ‘star child’ that some people fall into the trap of being. The support systems in my life made sure I know that my entire identity was not in how society viewed me, but if I started to feel like that view defined me, I could talk about it and figure out how I could adjust my mindset.
CM: You’re majoring in biology, working towards physical therapy. I have a feeling you’ll be on the cutting edge of helping people heal their bodies, both with traditional methods and with adaptive technology. How do you see the adaptive world, for lack of a better world, adapting and changing in the future? What do you hope the future looks like, and how do you see your role in this evolution?
JH: I am so excited to get into the rehabilitation field and see what is available. I have been on the ‘guinea pig’ end of a lot of research and trials within healing and adaptive technology so stepping into the role of the initiator will open a door to a new world of possibilities. I am most familiar with leg amputee therapies and technology, obviously, so it will be good for me to branch out and expand my mind on all that is evolving in the worlds of other adaptive programs and studies. With all of this advancement we are able to grow exponentially instead of at a linear rate, and with so many young students interested in these medical fields I can sense a lot of change and progress all throughout the medical world. Medicine and rehabilitation is always adapting and evolving but our society is turning out brilliant minds and amazing technology that provides so much freedom to explore. So much has changed and improved already in my lifetime and I am so thrilled to see firsthand where it’s headed next.