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Biography
Impairment information
Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
T44, F44
Further personal information
Residence
San Diego, CA, USA
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English
Higher education
Aeronautical Engineering: United States
Sport specific information
Club / Team
High Performance Paralympic Team: Chula Vista, CA, USA
Name of coach
Juaquim Cruz, Troy Engle.
Coach from which country?
United States
Training Regime
Wakes up at 7:30 am, and then bikes and runs a mile before breakfast. Then he does simulated runs in the pool and heads to the gym for about 2.5 hours, followed by a 45 minute cool-down session. After lunch he does about 45 minutes of cardio exercises.
General interest
Hobbies
Golf, off-road racing, radio control modelling, photography, snowboarding and playing poker. (marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010)
Memorable sporting achievement
Coming back from knee surgery to win two gold medals at the 2006 IPC World Athletics Championships in Assen, Netherlands. (marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010)
Injuries
He suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a race at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He battled multiple knee surgeries and a staph infection during the 2008 racing season. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He had major reconstructive knee surgery in 2006, ruling him out of competition for six months prior to the IPC World Athletics Championships that year. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010, marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010))
Recipient of 2006 Hall of champions award (marlonshirley.com, 12 Nov 2010)
He battled multiple knee surgeries and a staph infection during the 2008 racing season. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He had major reconstructive knee surgery in 2006, ruling him out of competition for six months prior to the IPC World Athletics Championships that year. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010, marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010))
Recipient of 2006 Hall of champions award (marlonshirley.com, 12 Nov 2010)
Awards and honours
He broke the world record in the 100m [T44 classification] while competing in Espoo, Finland in April 2007. (ipc-athletics.paralympic.org, 9 Mar 2010)
He won the 2005 San Diego Hall of Fame Best Disabled Athlete Award. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He is a two-time winner of the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Physical Disability, receiving the award for 2003 and for 2005. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
In 2003 he became the first T44 athlete to break the 11 second barrier in the 100m. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He set a world record in the long jump [T44 classification] while competing in Villeneuve d'Ascq, France in July 2002. (ipc-athletics.paralympic.org, 9 Mar 2010)
He won the 2005 San Diego Hall of Fame Best Disabled Athlete Award. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He is a two-time winner of the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Physical Disability, receiving the award for 2003 and for 2005. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
In 2003 he became the first T44 athlete to break the 11 second barrier in the 100m. (US Paralympics, 9 Mar 2010)
He set a world record in the long jump [T44 classification] while competing in Villeneuve d'Ascq, France in July 2002. (ipc-athletics.paralympic.org, 9 Mar 2010)
Impairment
He lost his left foot in a lawn mower accident at age five while living in an orphanage He then had the same leg amputated further up after being injured playing American football in high school. (ossur.com, 9 Mar 2010)
Other information
ORIGINS
Abandoned by his mother at age three in Las Vegas, he lived on the street and in orphanages before finding his way into a foster home in Utah at age nine. (ossur.com, 9 Mar 2010; marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010)
COMMUNITY WORK
He runs a programme called "Champions in Life," which provides mentorship opportunities to underprivileged children. (marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010)
Abandoned by his mother at age three in Las Vegas, he lived on the street and in orphanages before finding his way into a foster home in Utah at age nine. (ossur.com, 9 Mar 2010; marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010)
COMMUNITY WORK
He runs a programme called "Champions in Life," which provides mentorship opportunities to underprivileged children. (marlonshirley.com, 9 Mar 2010)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m T44 | Heat 2 | 3 | ||
| Men's 100 m T44 | Heat 1 | 3 | ||
| Men's 100 m T44 | Final Round | 3 | ||
| Men's High Jump F44/46 | Final Round | 5 | ||
| Men's Long Jump F44 | Final Round | 2 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m T44 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
| Men's 100 m T44 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Men's 200 m T44 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
| Men's 200 m T44 | Final Round | 2 | ||
| Men's Long Jump F44 | Final Round | 3 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 4x100 m T42-46 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Men's Long Jump F44 | Final Round | 1 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m T44 | Heat 1 | 2 | ||
| Men's 100 m T44 | Final Round | 8 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Long Jump F44 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Men's 4x100 m T42-46 | Final Round | 1 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Long Jump F44 | Final Round | 9999 | ||
| Men's 100 m T44 | Heat 3 | 1 | ||
| Men's 100 m T44 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Men's 4x100 m T46 | Final Round | 9999 | ||
| Men's High Jump F46 | Final Round | 2 |