Cody Jones was born with Cerebral Palsy and it affects the left side of his body. “Stuff happens in life,” he shrugs. “I knew the left side of my body was always going to be a problem.”
Growing up, he watched his dad play what Cody calls ‘old man’ softball and he figured that if Jim Abbott of the Angels and Yankees could play professional baseball using one arm, maybe he could try and play ball as well.
“I played left field, first base and pitched on our high school team,” he recalls. “I had never even heard of adaptive sports.”
That was about to change.
The LA Times wrote a piece on Cody during his senior year in high school and Cathy Sellers, who oversees the U.S. Paralympic track and field team, read the article and reached out to Cody’s coach.
In 2013, Cody started working with the throwing coach at Cal Lutheran and the next thing you know Cody Jones is throwing the shotput, the discus and the javelin, which turned out to be his best event.
He missed making the 2016 U.S. Paralympic team at the trials, but when Russia was booted from the games, Cody received that magical call and he was on his way to Rio.
“It was such a cool experience,” he continues.
“I remember walking in the opening ceremonies and thinking, ‘I can believe I’m here, I can’t believe I made it!’”
He not only made it to Rio, he made it to the finals and took eighth in his first Paralympic Games.
Next up for Cody Jones?
A medal in Tokyo!
