There is so much that can be said about BPS student Delmace Mayo, a multi-talented Sophomore at Boston Green Academy who has made a name for himself as one of the best para-athletes in his age bracket in the country! This incredible feat no doubt comes with an incredible story.
Delmace is a passionate young person with an incredible work ethic. “Delmace’s involvement in athletics has been a driving force in his life since he was very young,” Delmace’s mother, Catherine Mayo, shares. At the age of 7, Delmace tried hockey for the first time, and it proved to be a pivotal moment.
“I loved it so much because when I got on the ice, it felt like I could participate in sports even with a disability,” Delmace recalls. Since then, Delmace’s mom has identified many opportunities for him to get involved in other sports. He participated in the Ivan Lendl Adaptive Sports Camp which exposed him to many other types of sports.
Delmace Mayo, Sophomore at Boston Green Academy
Today, Delmace is accomplished in basketball, track & field, wheelchair motocross (WCMX), skiing, and more! He currently plays on the Ryan Martin Foundation Trojans Basketball team in Connecticut, an official team of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA).
Of all the sports Delmace plays, track & field is his favorite. Although it was a sport that he tried out just for fun at the age of 7 or 8, it transformed into his passion after he learned what it could offer him.
“I love teams,” Delmace explains, “but as much as I shy away from the spotlight it always comes to me.” Delmace loves that track offered a venue to rely fully on his own skills and strengths. As long as he did his best, it could be good enough. By the age of 10, Delmace was already competing and training for national-level competitions. His favorite event is the 100 meter.
Delmace has earned numerous medals and awards in Track & Field. In just 2022, he won three gold medals at the Bay State Games Summer Track meet and came in first at the Hartford, Connecticut Half Marathon in October. With his Adaptive Sports Track & Field Team, the HSC Cruisers, Delmace holds eight first-place finishes from the 2022 Tri-State Regional Qualifier Track & Field Meet and seven gold medals from the 2022 Move United Junior Nationals. In his first year with the Brighton High School/Boston Green Academy Track & Field team as a freshman, he earned three gold medals at the Boston Public Schools City Championships and made it to the All-state Competitions where he earned the Gold medal for the 800 meter. That year Delmace was also named the Boston Public Schools Boys Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Delmace’s accomplishments can be attributed to his ability to persevere, even if that doesn’t translate into a gold medal. At the 2022 Move United Junior Nationals, Delmace recalls one of his proudest moments during the universal relay event when his team was falling behind. Delmace had the final 100-meter leg of the race, and although he started with a 70-meter disadvantage, he pushed through and ended in second place. Stories such as these are a wonderful reminder that there are many ways to be successful in sports as a team and as an individual, and Delmace demonstrates this well.
Naturally, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become an elite athlete. Delmace has an intensive training schedule, where in addition to after-school practices with his team at Boston Green Academy, he travels to Connecticut multiple times a week and also trains on his own at Jamaica Pond. At the same time, Delmace attributes his success to his support system and family, particularly his mom.
Delmace with medals from the races and events he is most proud of
“My mom is always pushing me to be the best I can be…without her driving me places I wouldn’t be able to do all the sports that I’ve done”. Delmace is also incredibly inspired by his coaches and mentors who all have worked so hard to get to where they are.“It makes me feel like I gotta work hard too.”
Delmace’s track coach at Brighton High School, Coach Anthony Browne, shares that Delmace is an adventurous athlete who is always ready to try new things. Coach Browne has also been impressed with Delmace’s resilience. “As a para-athlete, there are a lot of barriers that are put up for him, and he doesn’t always have the necessary support,” Coach Browne shares of Delmace’s experience traveling to meets and competitions, “[but] Delmace doesn’t let anything get to him.”
Delmace’s Physical Education Teacher, Shantell Jeter, has also been a close witness to Delmace’s character and work ethic. “What I appreciate the most about Delmace is how humble he is about his accomplishments. But I also know that he knows he is a force to be reckoned with. I am so proud of Delmace and all of his accomplishments, and I can't wait to see where athletics takes him in the future. His hard work and dedication to get better are admirable, and I am so glad to have him as a role model in the BGA community.” As a student at Boston Green Academy, his favorite subjects are science and math, he has a great group of friends, and he likes to visit the original JP Licks shop in his Jamaica Plain neighborhood for chocolate ice cream. He also identifies as a ‘Gearhead’ because he is fascinated by cars and would love to either become an engineer or work in sports management someday.
Delmace is looking forward to the upcoming season of Track & Field at school and is feeling confident. “I don’t know the last time Boston has had an athlete at [this] caliber” explains Coach Browne. At this time, Delmace’s main goal is to just keep getting faster.
Delmace(center) racing
Delmace’s story is a reminder of how transformative sports and physical activity can be in a person’s life. His mother explains, “Being physically active helps to ground him, and improves his focus for other challenging activities - like school. Sports have given him confidence, taught him the importance of teamwork, helped him to develop perseverance, led to many, many friendships, and taken him on some pretty amazing adventures."
It will be exciting to see where Delmace’s journey with track & field, and sports in general, takes him next. For those who are interested in athletics or want to start their own journey with physical activity, he has one piece of advice: “If you want something, go for it!”
Published: November 2022 Written by: Sravanthy Neeraja