Triathlete Mark Barr will be training at the Olympic Training Center with Team USA. According to The Houston Chronicle, the Houston native is in France gearing up for a shot at gold in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He's taken on the Paratriathlon before, finishing fourth in Rio 2016, yet this time Barr is aiming for the podium. "I’ve never podiumed. I’ve never gotten a medal. I feel like it’s overdue," Barr told the Houston Chronicle.
After overcoming bone cancer as a teen, which led to the amputation of his leg, Barr's journey has been the stuff of heroic comebacks. A nurse in the recovery room, herself a Paralympian, gave Barr the hope he clung to during his darkest times, an event ABC News captured as she was put there on purpose to help me get through that hard time.
He devotes time to mentoring through TIRR Memorial Hermann and supports Team Catapult, a nonprofit that bolsters physically challenged athletes. His unwavering commitment to excellence is evident in both his professional and athletic endeavors, as he has earned a nursing degree and continues to push the limits in Paralympic sports "That’s the nature of the sport," Barr explained.
