Born in Northern Ireland, Jason and his two brothers grew up with a congenital eye condition called Leber's Amaurosis, through which they could see only a tiny amount of light. Jason's family moved to Canada when he was thirteen. He and his brothers attended a school for blind students where physical activity was widely encouraged, and it was here that Jason discovered a love of running. Training and competing with a guide runner who would run beside him, Jason followed an unintended course which has culminated in the opportunity to represent Canada on the track at three Paralympic Games, from which he and his guide have brought home one bronze and two silver medals in the 1500 metre competition. Most recently, Jason and his long time guide runner, Greg Dailey, celebrated a decade of training and competing together by capturing bronze in a hotly contested 1500 metre race for blind athletes at the Beijing Games. Jason owes a lot to his coach, Ray Elrick, and a dedicated group of training partners at the Ottawa Lions who have helped him in meeting and exceeding his athletic goals. Away from the track, Jason moved to Ottawa in 2003 after graduating from the University of Guelph with a degree in international development. He has been married to his wife Colleen for three years, and works at the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability, coordinating an initiative called All Abilities Welcome which aims to facilitate greater participation of people with a disability in community recreation programming. Jason values the chance to work in a field that is personally very relevant and which has given him so much.
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