Paralympic Sprinter Nick Mayhugh Opens Up About the One Person Who Inspires His Strength

Haven’t had enough Team USA glory? Us neither, and this one’s a heartwarmer. As three-time gold medal-winning sprinter, Nick Mayhugh, is preparing for the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, he’s also remembering the grandparent who taught him to fight for himself.

With the Paralympics set to take place in Paris August 28 to September 8, Nick shares his history being born with a form of cerebral palsy, which the National Institute of Health defines as “a group of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination.” Nick was told he’d never play sports, but defied that projection by going on to become a dual Team USA Athlete in both soccer and track & field. Mayhugh was inspired by his grandfather, Bill Mayhugh, who was a longtime Washington, D.C.-area radio host, a lifelong runner, and co-founder of the Marine Corps Marathon. When Bill Mayhugh passed away in 2018 at age 91, the Washington Post noted how he’d “raised millions for charity.”

Nick’s diagnosis was significantly delayed, similar to what his grandpa experienced when his early signs of Alzheimer’s were dismissed as normal aging. Nick has partnered with with Eli Lilly and Company to encourage others to act early on possible issues with their memory and cognition, and to help patients speak up to their doctor.

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The Healthy: Nick, we’re talking with you in your final days of training before the games kick off next week. What are life and training like right now?

Nick Mayhugh: Very repetitive! I start my day by caring for my puppy and then caring for my body to prepare for training. I then go to training—and training looks a little different now since I’m getting ready for the Games. I try to maintain the physical and mental state of preparing to compete and being the best that I can. After training, I take the rest of the day to do what needs to get done, both mentally and physically, to prepare for the next day.

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The Healthy: What would your grandpa say today if he were here to witness you at the Olympics?

Nick Mayhugh: Above anything else, he would just be proud. We spent a lot of time watching sports when I was growing up, especially sports in the D.C. area, and I have a lot of great memories of us sitting on the couch together. We’d talk about ways we’d run organizations if we were given the reins. He couldn’t come and see me compete in the Paralympics…he would just be proud. He always supported me and attended my soccer events as a kid. He would always be sitting there and cheering me on. He was always very proud whether I won or lost. I know that his watching me win in Tokyo would’ve been the peak of his supportive career. It’s crazy to think that both he and my grandmother are looking down on me and feeling proud—and will be even prouder of me when I get back from Paris.

The Healthy: We understand your grandpa’s symptoms were first dismissed. What made him finally get seen for his memory problems?

Nick Mayhugh: There is a need to understand the underlying cause of memory and thinking issues so people can work with their doctors to get diagnosed earlier and explore options, including treatments. With my grandfather, I began to see his difficulty with daily activities and recall him forgetting names or dates. Even though I was a teenager then, I had an instinct that this was not just a sign of normal aging. The people around me dismissed my concerns—leaving me defeated, especially as his memory faded. Ultimately, following symptoms, including difficulty completing familiar tasks, misplacing things, confusion with time, and forgetting names, he decided to see a doctor, which led to an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. It’s important for patients and their loved ones to have these hard conversations and share details about potential memory and thinking issues with a physician to help figure out the next steps.

I chose to partner with Lilly since its commitment to research and development in Alzheimer’s disease spans over three decades. It’s meaningful to me to not only share my grandfather’s story—but to bring awareness to the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. I understand my grandfather’s struggle with an invisible disease, as I wasn’t diagnosed with cerebral palsy until I was 14, which is typically diagnosed much earlier. My grandfather has been a huge inspiration in my life, and I wish I had more time with him. I want others to get a diagnosis sooner rather than later to try to have more time with their loved ones.

The Healthy: Speaking of your own training and preparation, what do you do in a moment when you’re feeling stumped or like the challenge seems insurmountable?

Nick Mayhugh: I try to take a step back from training. Whether in the gym, on the track or in a competition, I try to do something that makes me happy. Whether it be spending time with my family, meditating, or journaling to get my frustrations or stress out if I had a bad day of training or a bad day generally. People expect you to be OK all of the time, but that’s impossible. I am only human. I can only control what I can control. One of the things I can control is my attitude and mindset—going into each day, each training session, and race. I can step back, eat a good meal—maybe sushi—watch a good movie, get a good night’s sleep, wake up and meditate, and do what I know I need to do. I will take a personal day and do what I must to get back to work.

The Healthy: What are you most looking forward to during or after the Olympics and Paralympics?

Nick Mayhugh: During—I am definitely excited for my parents and family to be there and have that experience. Both my parents work full-time, which makes it difficult for them to travel and experience the life that I am so blessed to have as I compete around the world. As much as I wish they could come to everything, that is life! For them to be able to be there, and for us all to go to the Eiffel Tower and experience everything as a family for the first time, is going to be something I’ll never forget.

After—I can’t wait to eat as many Oreos as my stomach can handle! I love Oreos more than anything in the world. I’ve dialed in on my diet during this time—I haven’t eaten any chocolate, junk food or sugary things. I’ve stayed away from salt, sugar and processed food. I try to eat healthy year-round, no matter what. But, from day one, I remember sitting down with my brother, who was my first-ever nutritionist. He said that I could have one guilty pleasure. Oreos have always been mine. That is definitely what I’m looking forward to the most—eating as many Oreos as possible and going on vacation! I am excited to enjoy my time resting, relaxing on the beach and not being in spikes for a few weeks.

The Healthy: Honestly, who doesn’t love Oreos? What’s a self-care ritual you refuse to skip?

Nick Mayhugh: Eating Oreos every day (just kidding!). Hygiene in general. Whether it be washing my face, taking care of my body or hygiene in general, I’ve always been very avid in self-care. For example, I always bring my nail clippers everywhere. Nail hygiene is important to me. I could jump into a mud pool—but if I wash my hands and clip my nails, I feel clean!

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