Paralympian & Iowan Jessica Heims still loves Drake Relays, even without setting new world record

Jessica Heims walks out onto the concrete circle, the first women’s discus thrower in a group of eight.

She twisted backward toward the safety netting, gaining momentum. She spun in a circle, planted her foot and propelled the discus out of her hand.

Her first throw soared 33.89 meters. Each throw got progressively better until she threw 34.99 on her fifth attempt, Heims’ best of the evening.

It wasn’t her personal best at the Drake Relays, though, and the standard she set is difficult to beat. In 2022, she threw for 37.28 meters – setting a world record at the time and the still-standing United States record.

Oh, and that happened in her Relays debut as a professional.

“It’s a lot to live up to,” Heims laughed. “But the Drake energy is always so amazing that, even if you go out and you scratch every single one, it’s still fun.”

Heims might not have hit her personal best, but Friday’s outing was still one to be proud of.

But track and field fans won’t find Heims’ results on the Relays website.

That’s because the native of Swisher, Iowa – about 15 minutes outside of Cedar Rapids – and current Bondurant resident competed in a class of her own as the only para-athlete in the lineup.

“It’s really fun, honestly,” Heims replied when asked about being the only para-athlete in the event. “The girls are amazing. They’re at the top of what they’re doing, and it’s cool to mesh with them, coming from two different worlds but sharing our love.

“And I can showcase what the Paralympics have to offer.”

Heims was born with amniotic band syndrome, a birth defect that caused her right leg to be underdeveloped and deformed. After trying to save her right foot for a year, her parents made the difficult decision to amputate.

She was the only amputee in her elementary school, but that didn’t stop Heims from competing in sports. She followed in the footsteps of her older sister – and then eventually surpassed her older sister’s skills.

Heims worked her way up the ranks – making junior and international teams. She became the first adaptive athlete at Northern Iowa, where she sprinted and threw discus all four years.

But, of course, that was only the beginning of her illustrious track and field career.

That success allowed her to give back to both the sport she loves and the state she came from.

Heims worked with the Paralympic Inclusion Project – a collaboration between the NCAA and the United States Olympic/Paralympic Committee – to help incorporate para-athletes into the college sports sphere.

She credits Drake’s Blake Boldon, the director of the Relays, with his efforts to champion adaptive sports.

The inclusion of her event and others at the Blue Oval made the Relays her favorite day of the year – and that includes nationals and the Paralympic trials. It is Heims’ home meet – or as close as she can get – after all.

Speaking of home, Heims takes pride in her Iowa connections.

Even as she turned from college athlete to professional to two-time Paralympian, Heims remained close to her roots. She opted to remain in Iowa to train, bouncing between Altoona and Solon.

And she recently took on a new role as the girls discus coach at Southeast Polk.

Heims learned that, as a coach, she improves as an athlete. She joked about how some of the notes her coach gives her stick better when she finds herself repeating them to the girls on Southeast Polk’s track and field team.

“The girls are so amazing, I adore them,” Heims said. “They say you learn better on your own when you teach someone else. I’ve discovered (that) I honestly take in way better information when I turn around and tell the girls to do something.”

Southeast Polk is just one more stop along Heims’ impressive journey in athletics.

The Drake Relays were a fun moment for the Iowa native as she prepares for the Paralympic Trials in July. There, she hopes to go from being a two-time Paralympian to a three-time one.

And she’ll complete the training needed to achieve that goal in Iowa, because she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s my home. I wouldn’t train anywhere else.”

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa native Jessica Heims showcases Paralympic discus at Drake Relays