Former North Johnston High School standout Dylan Pinder is continuing his winning record at Mount Olive College.
Pinder competed in the 2018 Southeast Regional Wheelchair Games in North Myrtle Beach, SC on April 21-22. He finished first in the shot put with a throw of 5.54 meters. He finished first in the discus throw at 13.47 meters. He finished first in javelin with a throw of 11.45 meters.
Dylan was competing again 20 other athletes in the under 23 age category as an independent athlete. Dylan’s score qualified him for the Junior National Wheelchair Games in Fort Wayne, Indiana. If he does well he has a chance at making the USA Para-Olympic Team.
I was honored and proud to qualify for the Nationals,” Dylan told WTSB News. “It was like qualifying for state championships in high school just on a different level. I am honored to represent Johnston County and North Carolina in the nationals.”
The Junior Nationals will be held the week of July 22-27. Dylan and a few others from the Tarheel state will represent North Carolina in the games.
Dylan is now throwing out of a special wheelchair made for wheelchair athletes for competition. The chair gives him leverage without the possibility of falling out of the chair, according to his father, John Pinder. The special wheelchair allows participants to be strapped in and the chair is also anchored to the ground.
Dylan is 2017 graduate at North Johnston High and a current freshman at Mount Olive College. He is majoring in Sports Management.
Dylan, 20, lives in Kenly. He is the son of John Pinder of Pine Level and Tina Boykin of Kenly. He has a sister, Mikalah, and a brother, Colby.
Dylan won 17 state titles while in high school for the Panthers. He has won over 50 medals in his career.
