Teenager Tahmar Upshaw Heads to Nationals After An Impressive First Impression In Santiago

Few within the U.S. Para track and field scene were aware of Tahmar Upshaw a couple months ago.

That isn’t surprising considering the 19-year-old is a relative newcomer to competing in Para sports, having just discovered that path in 2023.

Suffice it to say, Upshaw is on the radar now.

The sophomore biomed major at NAIA Cumberland University in Tennessee won a pair of silver medals, in the 400-meter T47 and the 1,500-meter T46, at the Parapan American Games in November.

The meet in Santiago, Chile, was Upshaw’s first competition representing Team USA, and he wanted to make the most of it.

“That was a motivation, I’d say,” the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native said. “I just kind of wanted more people to know I’m actually racing and I’m not just out here for fun. I wanted everyone to be like, ‘Whoa, who’s that guy?’”

Upshaw learned of Para track and field by chance. He was at the Mid-South Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in February 2023 with the Cumberland team when Jim Vargo, the track announcer and former U.S. Paralympic Team assistant coach, noticed him competing against athletes without disabilities. Upshaw, who sustained a brachial plexus injury at birth that limits the use of his right arm, now had a new ambition.

“It was a big surprise because I never really thought I would be able to really compete with them,” Upshaw said of elite-level Para athletes. “I didn’t really know about how they categorized different disabilities and stuff like that. It was amazing to see how big it was.”

Competing among fellow Para athletes wasn’t the only adjustment for Upshaw. He specializes in the 800, which wasn’t an event offered in his classification. That forced Upshaw to compete in two distances he wouldn’t consider his best, but he found a silver lining out of the adjustment.

“A lot of challenges, because my main focus is the 800. That’s the event I’m the best at, and that’s my favorite,” Upshaw said. “So it was tough when I found out going to Chula Vista (in California for a Team USA camp) for that first time, but I also felt like if I want to be good at 800, my 1,500 and 400 has to be good as well. It just all came together.”

At Cumberland, Upshaw has plenty of experience in the shorter distance as part of the 4x400 team. He won conference indoor and outdoor championships in the 4x400 and 4x800 during his freshman year.

He’s not unfamiliar with longer distances either, as he runs cross country in the fall to keep in shape for track season.

“When I made the (U.S.) team, since I knew I wasn’t just doing a long 1,500, I knew I needed to start getting to the track again and getting my spikes, doing a lot of speed work and practicing in the blocks (for the 400),” Upshaw said. “I don’t usually practice in the blocks.”

His initial attempt to represent Team USA was unsuccessful as he didn’t get selected for the world championships following his performance at nationals in May.

Despite recording personal-best times in both the 400 and 1,500, neither of those times were fast enough to qualify for the 60-person world championships roster. He will aim to qualify for the 2024 worlds team this weekend at the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships.

With 2024 being a Paralympic year, Upshaw knows he needs to refine his performance to be considered for a trip to Paris. In addition to being quicker out of the blocks, Upshaw said making the long turn in the 400 is an area to improve, all while maintaining his strong finishing kicks.

“And just being comfortable,” Upshaw said. “I felt like I was kind of holding back in Santiago. I didn’t want to false start coming out of blocks or hurt myself coming out of the blocks. I just wanted to make sure I got out. I feel like (I will be more comfortable), especially at that level. I don’t think I’ll ever be nervous in the 400 again.”

Nerves are not something that have ever kept Upshaw from competing. From an early age, he was “always the best kid on the playground.” He tried other sports, including soccer, basketball and football, but he was drawn to track.

“I like to win and I was winning in track,” Upshaw said.

Now with his first international competition under his belt, Upshaw is hoping to add a French stamp to his passport in 2024.

“I think I need to run my best race in the 1,500 — I think I’m capable of it, so it’s not necessarily get better in the 1,500,” Upshaw said. “And the 400, if I can just get faster in that first 200 … I think I would have a great chance.”

Steve Drumwright is a journalist based in Murrieta, California. He is a freelance contributor to usparatf.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.