Ross Ridgewell, Head Coach
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Ross Ridgewell is a native Australian and three-time Australian Junior National Champion in the 400m and 800m and was a member of the Australian team competing in the 2004 IAAF World Junior Championships in the 800m. Ross’s athletic achievements led him to the University of Georgia, where he ran the 800m and was an All-American and two-time All-SEC performer. He has taken the role as Jarryd’s primary coach and brings vast experience as an elite athlete to his new role. Ross also brings specific Paralympic training experience as a former training partner of one of Australia’s most successful Paralympic athletes of all time, Heath Francis.
Ross began working with Jarryd in November, 2010, less than six months after Jarryd’s amputation surgery, when Jarryd began his Paralympic career. During the first season of Paralympic competition, Ross helped Jarryd not only through his first races, but coached Jarryd to his 4th place and 3rd place finishes in the 200m and 100m events at the 2011 USA Paralympic Championships. After the resulting selection to the US team for the Para-Pan American Games in November 2011, Ross and Jarryd continued their work together leading to Jarryd’s gold medal winning performance and the World Leading time in the 100m. Ross is married to Natalie Khoury Ridgewell and they currently reside in Fort Valley, GA.
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