James E. Dixon, Keynote Speaker, Author, Superhero, and Amputee Advocate, with A YouTube Channel, Living His Dream and Bringing Joy to People Around the World. Here is His Life’s Story and Incredible Journey.
Life has been moving remarkably quickly for James Dixon. He’s recently agreed to a book deal, a documentary is being made about him, and he will be featured in a comic book. It’s all because he decided to wear shorts. Due to poor circulation, Dixon’s leg was amputated when he was 11 years old. He kept quiet about the leg for 45 years. Dixon’s mother used to tell him he was Superman, just with a bit of kryptonite. Dixon said he felt like an outsider despite his family’s encouraging efforts. His attitude changed four years ago.
“I thought about the fact that at some point, I had to get over the fear of what other people thought it said about me,” Dixon said. “I decided I would wear shorts. And that was a monumental day for me. But I waited to do it until I got a new prosthetic.” The new leg didn’t look like an imitation of human legs. But it also wasn’t a 25-pound prosthetic held together with duct tape. Instead, the latest leg, A state of the art leg, would allow Dixon to keep up with the athletic lifestyle he adopted after his amputation.
There are two reasons Dixon is passionate about fitness. First, he wanted to feel accepted by his peers. He got into sports shortly after the amputation to show people he was just as capable as everyone else. The more pragmatic reason, he explained, is that prosthetic legs are made to fit the person they’re attached to. Gaining 20 pounds can affect the wearer’s ability to walk. They’re expensive, too, ranging between $16,000 and $150,000. So, fitness became a way of life for Dixon. As a powerlifter, his deadlift record sits at 760 pounds.
The Cheetah Explorer leg helps. It doesn’t crack when he goes to lift heavy weights. Dixon said he’s enjoyed working with the chief product officer that helped produce legs more geared toward athletes — such as a waterproof leg that Dixon can wear in a pool. “Working out is incredibly important to everyone, not just folks who are entirely able-bodied,” Dixon said. “It’s good physically; it’s good mentally. And so, the more people can do that, the higher the quality of life. That’s really what we’re focused on, is creating a higher quality life for folks.” But Dixon isn’t exactly a standard patient; the designer of this kind of new leg doesn’t see athletes getting fitted for special prosthetics every day. “Long after the day that a basketball stops dribbling for you, or a baseball can be thrown, the gym is loyal,” Dixon said. “The gym builds that confidence for you and that sense of community.” Finding a local gym that caters to people with disabilities has helped, Dixon said. One More Gym, 3780 S. Reed Road, has specialized equipment, such as a modified squat machine that takes the pressure off the lifter’s spine. Brian Cox, the gym’s owner, said he accidentally fell into the niche. “When we first started in 2017, when we bought this place, our whole mentality was to be able to help people. To be able to form a gym family,” Cox said. Cox initially said he thought that help would come simply by helping people lose weight or build muscle. Then, several years ago, his wife was in a car accident. She needed to have multiple back surgeries as a result. He decided to purchase the modified squat machine to help her strengthen her back and leg muscles. After installing the squat machine at One More Gym, he and his wife noticed more people stopping by to use the device. Ever since, Cox said, he’s tried to keep people with disabilities in mind while changing the gym or ordering equipment. “I didn’t realize when I started talking about it, it opened the door for many other people,” Dixon said.
“THE POWER OF AMPUTEES”
Recently, renovations at One More Gym have included changes to Cox’s office. He had been preparing for a documentary crew to film inside the gym and wanted to provide a quiet space where the crew could conduct interviews. Marci Krown met Dixon in California, where she lives. Dixon had been supporting athletes at a Challenge Athletes Foundation triathlon. Immediately, Krown said, she was struck with Dixon. To her, Dixon was the epitome of an everyday person. Someone interested in sports that people could relate to. She’s working on a documentary titled “The Power of Sports for Amputees,” about people who have lost a leg and still want to participate in sports. “The whole point of the film is awareness,” Krown said. “You may look at them with pity. I want to change that perception. The perception is not of pity; the perception is of ability.”
THE DOCUMENTARY FILM – Living Life Without Limitations
The documentary will follow three people. The first is a woman training for the Paralympics, and the second is a teenager who plays high school football and participates in his school’s track team. Dixon is the documentary’s third character. “He’s living life without limitations,” Krown said. “His personality and positive attitude were other reasons I wanted to include him in the film.”
The director visited Kokomo to film interviews with Dixon. There are still a few interviews and post-production tasks left to work on, Krown said, but the crew is aiming for an autumn release. She hopes to have premiers in her hometown, San Diego, and Indianapolis. “I’m very excited about it,” Krown said. “I think this is a good feel-good story.”
GETTING A BOOK DEAL – “Found: Living Your Life Without Limitations”
In the latter half of March, Dixon went to California to share his story and explain why he’s passionate about amputees enjoying the same access to life as other people. During his flight to the golden state, Dixon finished recording transcripts for an autobiography he had been working on. After delivering his presentation, audience members asked if he hadn’t done anything that he would like to do. He told them about the book he was working on. As luck would have it, Mark Victor Hansen, a co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” was listening. A few weeks later, he reached out to Dixon to discuss plans for his book. In the end, they decided to work together. Hansen became a co-author and, Dixon said, extended a book-deal offer. “Found: Living Your Life Without Limitations” is the outcome of their collaboration. The book is scheduled to be released in late September. Those interested can pre-order the book online at www.onemoregymusa.com.
