jamie nieto is a high jumper who competed in the 2004 games in athens. to qualify for the olympics he jumped 7’8” in the air, which would be a good two feet higher than my head. in 2016 he was demonstrating how he could do a standing backflip at a practice. he landed wrong, and was instantly paralyzed from the chest down. in the years since he has been slowly and painstakingly been regaining some mobility. he can move his arms. he can walk, slowly and with difficulty (and a cane). his years of training provided him with the discipline to approach his recovery in a way most of us would not be able to muster. jamie had an incredible, soulful face, and this is one of those rare circumstances where the very first frame became our cover.
