Another Trip To The Parapan Ams Has Given Phillip Croft Added Confidence In A Paralympic Year

Phillip Croft was a preteen in 2011 when Brazilian wheelchair racer Ariosvaldo Fernandes Silva posted a Parapan American Games record time of 15.08 seconds in the men’s 100-meter T53.

Now twice as mature at age 24, Croft is a top wheelchair racer himself and had the second-closest view when Fernandes Silva upgraded that mark to 14.92 at the 2023 Parapan American Games last November in Santiago, Chile. Croft earned bronze with a time of 15.79, trailing U.S. teammate and silver medalist Robert Hunt by 0.32 seconds.

That race capped off a memorable week for Croft in which he reached the podium three times in four days, having previously claimed bronze in the 5,000 T53/54 and silver in the 400 T53. It was also the second time he shared a podium with Fernandes Silva, with the pair going 1–2 in the 400.

Croft and Fernandes Silva had also finished 1–2 in that event four years earlier in Lima, Peru, where Croft also won a silver medal in the 800. That performance ultimately didn’t serve as a springboard for Croft to make his first Paralympic Games in Tokyo, but joining the four-time Paralympian and perennial Paralympic contender on two podiums in Santiago doubles Croft’s confidence ahead of his second stab at his first berth in the Games.

“I always look up to bigger competition because, No. 1, it shows me where I am,” Croft said. “And second of all, it’s also like I have to remind myself of my age.

“We get so competitive, we forget about our sports age.”

Indeed, Croft was in grade school in Spokane, Washington, when Fernandes Silva burst onto the scene at the Paralympic Summer Games Beijing 2008. Since joining the global Para track and field circuit himself, Croft has witnessed grounding, emboldening examples of how long and far he can go.

The 47-year-old Fernandes Silva epitomizes that.

“Twice as old as me, twice as much experience as me,” Croft said.

Croft’s lack of experience showed four years ago in Lima when he lined up for his first race, the grueling 5,000.

“That was the first time I experienced a big crowd watching me and I got really nervous, and I got really tense,” he recalled. “I didn’t even know that was happening, but at the same time, I felt it.”

In 2023, he had a chance to preempt those nerves for himself and Parapan Ams rookies Evan Correll and Jason Robinson — two of his contemporaries at the University of Illinois’ Para sport powerhouse — who had eager ears for pep talks.

Correll inquired about the best foods to fuel up with ahead of a specific race. Croft stresses that’s a crucial detail, yet one that newer athletes think little of and can find trickier than they assume.

“Especially in a foreign country,” Croft noted.

Once they had their nutrients down, Correll and Robinson asked about the particulars of Parapan Ams race-time protocol.

“How is the meet run in terms of checking in time, in terms of warm-up and in terms of storing equipment?” Croft recounted them asking.

After Croft filled his teammates in, everyone carried contagious confidence into the 5,000, spurring them on to an American podium sweep. At 11:26.86, Croft claimed the bronze medal, trailing Miguel Jimenez-Vergara by 20.13 seconds and Correll by 20.89.

The teammates were the only three racers to finish in under 12 minutes.

Yet the Americans limited their celebration to a modest pizza party, for they were not fully satisfied with the outcome.

“We were hoping to go around like 10:30,” Croft explained.

Nonetheless, a sweep is a sweep.

“Overall, it was one of the bucket lists for me,” he said. “It was a good moment for us.”

As the races shortened, Croft experienced a range of results. In the 800, he slipped from a silver medal in Lima to eighth place in Santiago. But despite the lack of hardware, his progress radiated through his time: a season-best 1:41.50, which improved upon his time from 2019 by 13 seconds.

The following days yielded satisfying pursuits of Fernandes Silva in the 400 and 100. Croft’s repeat silver in the 400 came with another personal-best of 52.23. To close the week, he combined his 100 thriller with fifth place in the 1,500.

As he looks to refine his road game in the new year, Croft will train for April’s Boston Marathon. But he will otherwise prioritize his established strengths in shorter track races ahead of the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in July.

All he has to do at those trials is recapture what drove his Parapan Ams sophomore surge.

“I was more ready and knowing what to expect,” he said. “Closer to hitting the standards … controlling the emotion.”

Al Daniel is a freelance features writer and contributor to usparatf.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc. You can follow him on Twitter @WriterAlDaniel.