High School:  Valley
College:  California State University, Northridge

* XTERRA Career:  37 wins

​* 6 Time National Champion (2002 - 2007)

​* World Champion  (2004)

​* Paralympic Gold Medalist 2016 Rio - Road Race

​* Paralympic Silver Medalist 2016 Rio - Track Pursuit

* XTERRA Hall of Inductee (2012)
* ESPY Award Winner (2014)

     

Jamie Whitmore was born and raised in Sacramento. This fiery little girl was always looking to compete.  At the age of five, she started competing in Tumbling and then moved her way to swimming.  She always wanted to play with the boys because she felt they were more competitive.  At that early age she knew she wanted to be a pro in something and eventually win a gold medal. Bold predictions for a child, but they both came true.

 

Jamie joined the Track team in eighth grade at Rutter Middle School and found that running was her thing.  She went to Valley High School where she ran cross country and track becoming one of the best distance runners in the area.  Competing in the Mile and 5,000 meters, she won the Sac Joaquin Section Championship and was voted Most Athletic at Valley High.

 

She earned a track scholarship at Cal State Northridge.  However, during her junior year, another sport was intriguing her.  She fell in love with Triathlon so she could utilize all of her talents.  She also began focusing on Mountain Biking.  In less than a year she was a professional mountain biker.

 

In 2001, she competed in her first Triathlon race in XTERRA.  In her first professional race she beat the top competitor and won.  Frome there, Jamie began racing all over the world and was dominating the competition.  In 2004, she won her first World Championship and then finished second in 2005.

 

In 2007, out of nowhere Jamie’s leg started cramping.  She was having difficulty biking.  She quickly developed pain in both legs.  She took time off to recuperate. When she started back up again, the pain got worse, and she couldn’t run.  In February of 2008, she went to a doctor, and then saw a Neurologist and a variety of specialists to try to find out why she was in constant pain.  She was bedridden and spent over a week at UCSF Hospital in San Francisco.

 

In March of 2008, at the age of 31, Jamie was diagnosed with Cancer.  She had spindle cell sarcoma, a type of connective tissue cancer.  She became paralyzed in her leg.  She had a nine hour surgery losing 16 pints of blood.  Jamie was fighting for her life.  After the surgery, she had to learn to walk again.  She was determined, and within three days she was walking throughout the hospital.  She started radiation  and was feeling better but then the tumor returned.  She had another surgery that July.  She now was without her glute muscle or hamstring.  She went back home but was rushed back to the hospital where she had a temperature of 103 and passed out.  She was now down to 98 pounds and was rushed in for yet another surgery.  While Jamie was in the hospital, she found out she was pregnant with twins.

 

After the birth of her two healthy boys and enduring three surgeries in less than a year, Jamie was determined to not let cancer beat her.  She began to train and wanted to compete.  In 2011, Jamie  was competing as a Para cyclist.  Just as  her previous sports, Jamie dominated the Paracycling circuit.  In 2012, she was a member of the US Paracycling team and won the Nationals. In 2013, she became World Champion.  The following year, she won it again, setting the World Record.  In 2016, she got the ultimate prize, winning the Gold Medal at the Paralympic Games in Rio.  Jamie won over 20 medals including back-to-back gold medals from 2013 to 2015.

 

Jamie is the most decorated female athlete in XETERRA Triathlon history, having won 37 events, six national titles and one World Championship. Overall, Jamie won 12 World Championships in all racing disciplines. 

 

Jamie’s story has resonated with fans across the world.  She won an ESPY award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability.  Known as a fierce competitor with an overwhelming desire to win, Jamie has overcome all odds becoming a superstar athlete while conquering cancer.  She is truly one of a kind and is a true inspiration to all, to never give up.  She continues to compete all over the world, while still calling Sacramento her home.