Curtis Lovejoy, an American Paralympic gold medalist, passed away on March 11 from complications of blood cancer. He was 63.
In 1994 Lovejoy made his international debut at the 1994 FINA World Championships in Rome. He won three bronze medals in the 50 [meter] freestyle, 100 freestyle, and the 100 backstroke.
At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, Lovejoy participated in both swimming and wheelchair fencing. He won two gold medals in the pool, in the 50 and 100 freestyle S2 events.
The International Paralympic Committee defines the S2 classification as follows:
Swimmers in this sport class mainly rely on their arms for swimming. Their hand, trunk and leg function is limited due to tretraplegia or co-ordination problems, for example.
Lovejoy was injured in 1986 at the age of 29 in a car accident that injured his spinal cord and left him paralyzed below the neck. Swimming and wheelchair fencing were used as part of his rehabilitation from the injury and led him to compete in these sports as a para athlete.
In 2004, Lovejoy participated again in both sports at the Athens Paralympics. He came home with two more medals in the pool, a silver and a bronze.
Lovejoy set a world record in 2009 at the Paralympic Short Course World Championships. In the 50 freestyle S3 classification, Lovejoy won the gold medal with a world record time of 55.77.
He continued to compete and was selected as the flag-bearer for Team USA at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto. He won a silver medal in the mixed 200 free relay 20 point event in Toronto.
In 2019 Lovejoy was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.
Aside from his time competing in the pool, Lovejoy was an ordained minister. His autobiography “Just a Little Love and Joy” was published in 2018.
A statement was issued through his publicist Ebony Porter-Ike:
It is with great sadness that I announce our beloved Paralympian, Author, Husband, Brother, and Friend has passed away quietly last night. His battle is over, and he is now in the arms of the Lord. I was honored to have been able to serve Curtis Lovejoy as his publicist for 4 years. His smile, spirit and determination to win was a natural part of who he was. In his last days, Curtis was still that beautiful spirit.
Lovejoy retired from competition earlier this year due to the cancer. He is survived by his wife Mamie.
A life well lived! RIP Curtis.