Reston's Chris Tate Named 'Elite' Athlete on One Leg

It’s been five years since Reston resident Chris Tate’s life changed forever.

It was five years ago — May 1, 2010, to be exact — that Tate was struck by a drunk driver while riding a friend’s dirt bike. The accident would eventually force doctors to have to amputate Tate’s left leg below the knee, something the young, physically fit personal trainer at the time thought would change his life for the worse.

“First thought I had laying on the road was that I would never run again,” Tate admitted.

However, that thought exited his mind as quickly as it entered, and 16 months after his amputation he was back to work as a personal trainer, not to mention training himself in his spare time for the Reston Triathlon, which he would go on to complete.

Related: Chris Tate Back in the Race

His career as a para-athlete has only blossomed from that triathlon. Four years after completing his first race with a prosthetic leg, he’s already earned “elite” status with USA Triathlon after placing third in the USA Paratriathlon Nationals in Austin, Texas, last month, where he was also the first amputee to finish the race.

Before that, he placed 11th out of 90 competitors at the Kinetic Sprint and Lake Anna, where he was one of only two para-athletes in the field.

Defying odds and raising the bar for para-athletes everywhere has now become the norm for Tate. But he admitted the initial doubt he felt in himself immediately following the accident is actually what fuels him as a competitor now.

“I had to be optimistic in my recovery but it wasn’t clear who I was going to be while laying in the hospital bed,” he said. “Discipline and motivation have made me far stronger than I ever thought possible.”

Whether he wins a race or not, Tate has already won by maintaining a relatively normal life after an otherwise tragic accident five years ago. His career as a personal trainer is as successful as his career in para-athletics, and he’s about as active now as he was back then. He said he loves to play ultimate frisbee with friends when he’s not training himself or others, and it’s safe to say the man who once thought he’d never run again is running more than most able-bodied adults in the country.

Tate is now preparing to test himself more than ever before with a pair of upcoming, high-profile competitions. He’ll compete in the New Jersey State Triathlon, but that is merely a tune-up for International Triathlon Union World Championship races in Detroit and Chicago later this summer.

Tate cemented his “elite” status in an open race in Chicago last summer, and he’s returning to the start of his most successful year in para-athletics to show how much father he believes he can progress in the sport.

“This year it’s time to show up and reveal what a year of solid training can do,” he said.

But what makes Tate’s life more significant than an “elite” status on the racecourse is how he serves as an ambassador for other para-athletes who, like he once did, fear their days as athletes may be gone forever.

“It helps me push harder when other people are interested in my achievements,” Tate said. “Plus, it gets me out of bed in the morning and (gets me to) give my all because it influences others to better themselves.”

Tate has started a RallyMe page to help raise funds for the remainder of his season. Those wishing to support his summer season may visit the page to learn more about Tate’s story and to make a donation.

Image courtesy of Chris Tate