Paralympian pens kids’ book about thriving with disabilities




 

Nothing stands in the way of Cody Jones and his ambitions.

When the Cal Lutheran University grad sets his mind to something, he will figure out a way to make it work. The 25-year-old from Simi Valley is an athlete, marketer for a Camarillo police duty gear company, public speaker, and now a children’s book author.

A Paralympic javelin thrower on Team USA since 2015, Jones’ life is driven by determination and innovation. The left side of his body is affected by cerebral palsy, so he had to devise creative training techniques and find a strong support system to help him succeed in the sport.

And succeed he did. Jones competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and went on to bring home gold medals from the 2017 and 2019 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championship.

During the 2020 U.S. Paralympic trials in June, Jones found himself under quarantine, stuck in a hotel room for an extended period of time. Tired of binge-watching Netflix and snacking on potato chips, he decided to sit down for five minutes and begin writing a children’s book

CHAMPION— Cody Jones, a javelin thrower on Team USA, competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and went on to bring home gold medals from the 2017 and 2019 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championship. Courtesy photo

CHAMPION— Cody Jones, a javelin thrower on Team USA, competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and went on to bring home gold medals from the 2017 and 2019 U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championship. Courtesy photo

“I started with the idea that I needed five minutes of creativity,” Jones explained. “Five minutes led to five hours. It almost felt inspired. I have faith and I’m a Christian, so it felt like God was talking and the Holy Spirit was there.”

Though Jones didn’t move on to compete in Tokyo, he did return from the trials with a completed manuscript for “Henry Makes It on Top,” his first children’s book.

Its protagonist, Henry, is a boy who uses a wheelchair; he wakes up late and misses the bus to the top of a mountain where his friends are playing with a magical goat. Much like the driving forces in Jones’ life, innovation and determination help Henry find a way to the top of the mountain.

“I want kids that look like Henry to feel included like Henry does, and I want kids that look like Henry’s classmates, who don’t have disabilities, to learn how to properly interact with people who look like Henry,” Jones said.

The book is self-published through Amazon, and a portion of the proceeds goes to Angel City Sports, a nonprofit organization that provides adaptive sports opportunities at no cost to kids, adults and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments.

Through Angel City Sports, Jones discovered the world of adaptive sports after spending his childhood figuring out how to “make it work” alongside his coaches. Today, he’s involved with Angel City Sports as a coach.

“I want to use this book to support Angel City Sports further,” Jones said. “Not only does this story teach kids a great lesson, but you’re supporting a great organization.”

The illustrator of the book, 19-year-old Alex Kolden, is one of Jones’ friends from church.

“I enjoyed doing the artwork . . . because Cody is a good friend,” said Kolden, who is deaf and on the autism spectrum.

“It’s really cool that it’s a book about disabilities produced by people with disabilities that supports other people with disabilities,” Jones said.

He hopes that every elementary school in Ventura County will have at least one copy of “Henry Makes It on Top” by the end of this school year. He wants teachers to use the book as a tool to talk about disabilities and normalize interactions with disabled people.

“Being disabled shapes my life, but it’s not my No. 1 identity,” Jones said. “Faith is my biggest identifier. I want people to know that people with disabilities have found ways to thrive in life, not just survive.”

This story was originally published Sept. 1 in the Acorn Newspapers’ lifestyle magazine at BeyondTheAcorn.com.