FLY!

"And then you come to understand that a person with the right vision and motivation can do anything - even fly. Lex Gillette has an amazing talent for inspiring people not only on the track, but also in this book. Blind since the age of 8, he shares a collection of stores that help us all realize there is no need for sight with vision."

Allié McGuire
Co-Founder of Awareness Ties

THE BOOK

At age eight, Elexis "Lex" Gillette, learned he would never see again. Little did he know the devastating news was the beginning of a fascinating adventure that would lead him to athletic competitions all over the world. With the encouragement and support of a dynamic and resolute mother who was deteremined for her son to function independently in the sighted world, Lex attended public schools in Raleigh, NC. In high school, Lex met Coach Brian Whitmer and was introduced to a life-changing track and field event...the long jump. 

"Fly!" is more than the story of an athlete. The chapters not only tell great stories but also convey important, inspirational messages. This is a book for all ages. It inspires, entertains, and informs as it encourages everyone to "Fly!"

​THE AUTHOR

LEX GILLETTE is the best totally blind long and triple jumper in the history of the U.S. Paralympic movement. He is the current world record holder in the long jump, a four-time Paralympic medalist, a four-time long jump world champion, and an 18-time national champion. He is the only totally blind athlete to ever eclipse the 22-foot barrier in the long jump. If you think that any of this came easy, you should think again.
​
Many of his fellow eight-year-olds could be seen riding bicycles, shooting baskets, or frolicking on nearby playgrounds, but Lex was dealing with a far more challenging opponent. His sight began to slowly fade entirely due to recurrent retina detachments. Ten operations failed to stabilize what little sight he had left. After the final surgery, Lex’s mother Verdina Gillette, had the difficult task of telling her son he would likely never see again. As painful as this was, she vowed to teach Lex everything he would need to know to be successful in life. Her hard work and love were the foundation for Lex’s accomplishments.

At the age of 19, Lex won his first Paralympic silver medal in the long jump. His achievements at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece were the culmination of years of hard work and training. Since that time, Lex has solidified himself as a tenacious competitor for Team USA. Each of his athletic performances since that time have resulted in medals with the most recent being gold in the long jump at the 2019 Para Athletics World Championships.

Lex now has his sights set on the 2020 Paralympic Games, and he is currently training and competing to make his fifth consecutive U.S. Paralympic team. There is one goal, and that is to win gold for the United States of America. As an athlete, motivational speaker, and singer song writer, Lex epitomizes the phrase “No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision®”.