For Para Judoka Ben Goodrich, Parapan Ams Flag Bearer Nod Is Both ‘Humbling’ And ‘Exciting’
The 2020 Paralympic silver medalist has been balancing his training with preparing for the birth of his first child.
Athlete Bio
Height
6'2"
Hometown
Fremont, OH
classification: Albinism (B3)
Myles Porter
Sport: Paralympic Judo
Weight Category: 100kg
Height: 6' 2"
Classification: Albinism (B3)
Current Residence: Colorado Springs, CO
Club Name: Olympic Training Center
Coach: Ed Liddie
Paralympic Experience:
- Two-time Paralympian (2012, 2016)
- 2016 Rio Paralympic Games - 9th
Personal Profile:
In 2005, Myles Porter was a freshman at the University of Toledo, majoring in Sports Medicine. While shuffling around his class schedule, he added a judo course as an elective. Myles has always had an interest in grappling by virtue of his high school participation in wrestling and his dad’s wrestling coaching involvement. His interest in judo grew rapidly and he joined the university judo club.
With less than one-year of local competition experience, Myles traveled to the United States, Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs to attend a qualification camp to represent the United States at the 2006 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Judo Championships. He made the team as the -100 Kg representative and took 5TH place in his first international competition. Since then, he has been admitted into the resident athlete program at the OTC and has competed in eleven countries on four continents.
Because Myles is only the third visually impaired judo athlete to be ranked nationally among his sighted peers, he makes an excellent roll model. U.S. Paralympics has channeled Myles’ energy into promoting judo to a national audience. He has represented U.S. Paralympics in New York City, Chicago, Miami and Washington D.C. to promote judo. He even gave President Obama a short judo lesson on the east lawn of the White House.
His dream is to be the first judoka to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Major Judo Awards:
- 2015 Team Member, IBSA World Games, Seoul, South Korea
- 2015 Team Member, IBSA World Cup, Eger, Hungary
- 2014 Team Member, IBSA World Championships, Colorado Springs, CO
- 2012 Silver medalist, Paralympic Games, London, United Kingdom
- 2012 Bronze medalist, US Open, Miami, Florida (able-bodied event)
- 2012 Bronze medalist, IJF World Cup, Miami, Florida (able-bodied event)
- 2012 Silver medalist, German Open for Blind & Visually Impaired, Heidelberg, Germany
- 2012 Gold medalist, Pajulahti Games, Nastola, Finland
- 2011 Gold medalist Para Pan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 2011 Bronze medalist, IBSA World Games, Antalya, Turkey
- 2010 Silver medalist, USA Senior National Judo Championships (able bodied event)
- 2010 Bronze medalist, IBSA World Judo Championships, Antalya, Turkey
- 2010 Gold medalist, Lithuanian Open for Blind & Visually Impaired, Vilnius, Lithuania
- 2009 Bronze medalist, Rendez Vous - Montreal. Canada (able-bodied event)
- 2009, 2010 & 2011: Gold medalist, German Open for Blind & Visually Impaired, Heidelberg, Germany
- 2008 Fifth, Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
- 2007 Bronze medalist, Para Pan American Games, Rio, Brazil